Kurda's Mate: Her True Story
by Arra Lindemann
Summary: This is a story about Kurda's mate Zara. It is set in the months and weeks leading up to Kurda's treachery. It is about how his mate coped after his plan was discovered and he was executed.
1. Chapter 1

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 1. A New Life**

 **I looked out of my window, I was waiting for my boyfriend to come and collect me. He said he could only travel at nighttime due to his eyes being light sensitive, like the fool in love I was at the time, I believed him. I wish I'd never heard the name Kurda Smahlt, I wish I'd never even met him but I did meet him and I fell in love with him. For me it was love at first sight, Kurda was young and good looking, he was quite vain too but he was sweet and charming. He treated me like a Queen and we never argued, not even once.**

 **Kurda had blonde hair and blue eyes, he had a slightly German accent but his level of English was really high and we could understand each other perfectly.**

 **Kurda told me that he lived inside a mountain and that he was going to become a Prince, I didn't believe him at first, I mean would you believe it? I went along with it though and a few weeks after we'd met Kurda took me to the mountain that he was always talking about, it actually existed and so did the network of underground tunnels that he'd been drawing maps of too.**

 **You might think that this is the beginning of my story and it is, however my real story began on the night that I entered the Hall of Khledon Lurt and came face to face with Kurda's clan, they were a clan of vampires...**

 **Looking around in the dark hall I could not make out much of anything that was around me, I could hear voices and I could see the glow of torches on the walls but I could not see well enough to navigate.**

 **"Kurda, I can't see a bloody thing," I complained, "Haven't you heard of flashlights?"**

 **"I'm sorry my love, I'll be your eyes tonight and then I will fix it for you so that you will have much better vision than you do now," Kurda reassured me, then he said, "Come with me to my quarters, it is quiet in my quarters and there are more lights in there than there is in this hall."**

 **I followed Kurda to his quarters, he led me by the hand and he guided me along the tunnel until we reached our destination. Kurda was right, he had many more glowing fiery torches on the walls of his quarters and he also had a fire blazing in there too, the tunnels and the hall that we'd been in were rather cold so to come into a large, well-lit room was a welcome change.**

 **"It is nice in here Kurda, where is your bed?" I asked out of curiosity.**

 **"It is directly infront of you darling, the coffin on the floor is where I sleep, at least I sleep for some of the time. Sometimes I don't sleep at all." Kurda answered me, then he winked.**

 **"Oh I see, I'm expected to sleep in it too then am I?" I asked, annoyed.**

 **"Well that is the idea, unless you'd rather have a hammock?" Kurda suggested to me before he stole a kiss from my lips then I kissed Kurda back, it was the first real kiss that we had shared as a couple, until now we'd only kissed each other on the cheek. I was only seventeen and I was still pure, I'd never had a boyfriend before either until Kurda had come along.**

 **My first real kiss with Kurda was sweet, he held my waist with one hand whilst his other hand was on my neck. I had my left hand holding his neck and my right hand was resting just below his left shoulder. We kissed each other gently at first, it was slow because I didn't really know what I was doing, however Kurda seemed to know exactly what he was doing so I let him take the lead. Kurda made me moan softly into his mouth as his tongue and my tongue danced together, it was erotic and it made me tingle in places that I didn't even know I had.**

 **As time went on our kiss grew deeper, my confidence was building and I found myself unbuttoning Kurda's shirt so that I could expose his chest. I wanted to feel his warm body pressed against mine, I hoped that Kurda would make love to me because I wanted him to be my first. Kurda helped me to take my T Shirt and bra off, then our naked chests were pressed together as we kissed. I could feel Kurda's hands touching me and I was doing the same thing to him, then something sharp dug into my sides for a moment. It happened so fast that I didn't register it straight away, then an intense stabbing pain hit my heart. I cried out in shock but Kurda just pulled me even closer to him and kissed me even deeper, then a few moments later Kurda began kissing my chest and when he got to where the sharp pains had hit my body he sucked and licked those areas until the pain was gone, after that Kurda stood up and held me in his embrace for a long time. I wasn't sure what had happened but I felt weak, I gripped Kurda as tightly as I could for comfort and he didn't let me go either.**

 **"What just happened?" I asked, I was confused.**

 **"I blooded you, you are now a vampire like me. It will take a few nights for your vampiric powers to kick in but then you'll be able to see your way around here clearly, you'll also be much stronger and faster than you are now," Kurda revealed to me, then he said, "Welcome to the Vampire Clan my darling, you're one of us now."**

 **"Kurda, will you do something for me please?" I asked, I was still in shock.**

 **"Yes, of course. I love you Zara," Kurda replied to me, then he asked, "What is it?"**

 **"Will you make love to me? I want you to be my first if you know what I mean," I replied, then I admitted, "I'm still pure."**

 **"There are others in the mountain who are better than I am, however I'll do my best to make it good for you." Kurda replied, then he kissed me deeply and I ran my fingers through his long, blonde hair. Our naked bodies were still touching, I could feel Kurda's heart pounding as he kissed me, my heart was also beating at a mile a minute. Kurda led me over to his coffin, he got into it and he lay down in it, I joined him and then we kissed each other. I took my trousers off and Kurda also removed his trousers along with my pants and his boxer shorts. When we were totally naked Kurda positioned himself so that I was underneath him, we kissed each other passionately and I could feel sensations inside my body that I'd never felt before, Kurda moved so that his head was between my legs and then he began to lick my most sensitive spots, I'd never had this done to me before so I moaned in sheer pleasure, I gripped Kurda's hands to steady myself as I began to shake. I'd never experienced anything like this in my life either so it felt amazing, Kurda continued to lick me until I had what must have been my first ever orgasm, I moaned loudly and I was saying Kurda's name too as he continued to satisfy me in a way that I'd never been satisfied before. After a while Kurda came back up until his head was level with mine, then he kissed me even deeper than he had done previously. I instinctively lifted my legs up and I locked them around Kurda's waist, we continued to kiss and I could feel that Kurda was running his hands between my thighs, I opened my legs a bit wider but they were still locked onto him and we continued to kiss deeply. As we kissed I ran my hands all over Kurda's back and through his hair, then I felt something happen down below. I felt something being gently pushed inside me, it hurt me and I moaned in pain. Kurda kissed me constantly and then I could feel him shifting around, he began to thrust slowly back and forth, it was still hurting and I tensed up but then Kurda looked deep into my eyes, I looked into his own deep blue pools and a few tears formed at the corners of my eyes. Kurda wiped them away, they were tears of pain and Kurda seemed to know that he was hurting me so he stopped thrusting and he stayed still for a few moments, he kissed me and he linked his fingers with mine.**

 **"It hurts Kurda," I said, then I asked, "Why does it hurt?"**

 **"Losing your purity always hurts a little bit, the pain will soon be gone though and then you'll feel even more pleasure than what you did earlier, just trust me and try to relax. If you are relaxed then it'll feel better for you," Kurda told me, I relaxed my body as much as I could, then Kurda said, "Try and move in time with me, rock your hips back and forth as I thrust. It'll make you feel more sensations that were like the ones you felt earlier."**

 **"OK, I'll try my best but I've never done this before." I reiterated.**

 **"I know that sweetheart, that's why I'm taking my time and going slowly. I'll teach you what to do and then when we make love in the future you'll enjoy it more and you'll want me to make love to you often, trust me on that." Kurda replied as I began to rock my hips in time with his thrusts, it felt better and Kurda kissed me as we moved in unison. I began to feel more pleasure than pain and I began to breathe more too, I moaned into Kurda's mouth as our tongues entwined. We continued our rocking and thrusting movements until Kurda gripped my hands tighter, by this point I was underneath him and I was feeling the same ecstasy that I'd felt earlier so I knew that I was going to have another orgasm. Kurda continued to thrust until he tipped me over the edge, I had an orgasm that made my whole body shake and I cried out in pleasure as Kurda orgasmed too, we kissed each other and we gripped each other's hands as Kurda thrusted into me even deeper than before so that he could release his fluids into my body, I moaned even louder when this happened because it felt so good. I called out Kurda's name as he made me orgasm again. Now I understood why so many people had sex all the time, if it felt like this then I'd want sex all the time too. Kurda pulled himself out of me and he lay down beside me, he held me in his arms and we lay there for ages recovering. I turned to face him and I kissed him gently, Kurda kissed me back and then I curled up in his arms and went to sleep...**

 **When I woke up I was still in Kurda's arms, he was still asleep. I moved myself until I was even closer to him than I had been before and then Kurda woke up, he looked into my eyes and I looked into his, then we kissed each other. I felt a bit sore down below and I noticed that the cream coloured coffin lining had blood on it when I sat up.**

 **"I feel sore, I'm hurting down below," I told Kurda, then I asked, "Where did the blood come from?"**

 **"The blood is yours, all ladies lose a little bit of blood when they make love for the first time, it is perfectly natural. You will feel sore for a few hours but then you'll be ready to make love to me again if you want to, the more times you do it the better it'll become." Kurda explained to me before he kissed me again, this kiss was longer and more passionate than the previous one had been.**

 **"I understand, you are my first ever boyfriend Kurda. I'm only seventeen, I gave you my very first real kiss and my purity too so I hope that means something to you," I remarked, then I said, "I love you Kurda Smahlt."**

 **"Of course it means something to me, I love you too Zara. If I didn't love you then I wouldn't have brought you here, I certainly wouldn't have blooded you and I wouldn't have taken your purity from you either," Kurda told me, then he said, "I've got business to attend to in the Princes' Dome, I'll take you to meet my friends and then you can chat with them whilst I'm busy working."**

 **"That sounds like a good idea, I'll just get myself dressed and then we'll go," I replied, then I added, "By the way I'm starving, do vampires not eat or something?"**

 **"Yes, we eat. I'll take you to the halls where the food is served. If anybody asks you who you are tell them your name and that you're my half blooded mate. However you shouldn't have any trouble," Kurda instructed me, then he said, "You are the mate of a soon to be Vampire Prince, this means that the Vampire Clan must show you a certain level of respect."**

 **"I understand Kurda, right let's go and get something to eat now. I used a lot of energy up when we made love," I admitted, then I requested, "Can you take me to your Princes' Dome? It sounds like an interesting place to me."**

 **"I can certainly take you there and introduce you to the other Princes, you will have to wait until our business for the night is complete. I will also give you a full tour of the mountain later on Zara, I promise." Kurda explained to me and then we shared yet another kiss before Kurda took my hand and led me back to the halls where there was food available.**

 **I noticed that my eyesight was much clearer now, I could see and hear things that I hadn't been able to see or hear before. I could hear footsteps and voices and we weren't anywhere near to the halls yet either. Kurda held my hand as we walked down the tunnels, other vampires who passed us bowed to him and to me also. I'd never had anyone bow to me before, it felt odd but it made me feel important in some strange way.**

 **"Why do vampires bow to us?" I asked out of curiosity.**

 **"The non-ranked vampires are showing that I am superior to them because I'm soon to be invested as a Vampire Prince, it is done out of respect," Kurda told me just as we reached the halls where I could smell food, then Kurda remarked, "The Vampire Clan will refer to you as Madam Smahlt if they don't know you because you are my mate, as such they will expect you to conduct yourself accordingly. If you embarrass yourself then it reflects badly on me, I'll give you my talisman that you can wear around your neck. If the Clan see that you are wearing my talisman then they won't give you any bother, the mates of Princes or soon to be Princes are off limits." Kurda removed the talisman from around his neck and he put it on me, then he tightened up the string so that it wouldn't slip off or come loose whilst I was wearing it.**

 **"I'll see you later Kurda, I love you," I told Kurda, then I added, "Please don't be away from me for too long, I'll miss you."**

 **"I'll be as quick as I can but business sometimes drags on, I'll meet you in here or if you like then you can ask somebody to take you to the Halls of Sport, that is where the entertainment takes place," Kurda revealed to me, then he said, "I love you too Zara, take care of yourself." Kurda kissed me once, then he turned and walked away from me. I watched Kurda walking away until he had vanished, then I entered the hall that I was standing outside of and I went to get something to eat.**

 **The menu was pretty simple, there was bat broth and bread, bread, roasted meat or nothing. I chose the roasted meat, I helped myself and then I found a place to sit. When I sat down at one of the tables every vampire on that table fell silent and looked at me, I wasn't used to having all this attention. I poured myself a drink out of a jug and into a mug that was near to me and then I ate my meal. It tasted pretty decent too, I had enjoyed it but I wasn't sure what meat it was. I stood up to get myself another drink because the jug was empty, I was about to go and fill up the jug when one of the vampires who had been standing around came over to where I was.**

 **"Do you require anything Madam Smahlt?" The vampire asked me, I was surprised. Maybe he was a waiter or something.**

 **"I just wanted another drink, this jug is empty and I wanted to find out what meat I was served too becuase it tasted so good," I replied, then I requested, "Could you go and find out for me?"**

 **"Of course, I'll get you another drink too. Was it red wine you wanted or something else Madam?" The vampire asked me.**

 **"I'll have the same as whatever was in this jug please, it tasted nice." I answered, then I asked, "Shall I wait here for you to bring it to me?"**

 **"Yes, naturally. A vampiress in your position is served, you do not need to serve yourself. If there is anything you require Madam then just let me know and I'll fix it for you. That's why I'm here. I serve the Princes and their mates," the vampire told me, then he said, "I'll be back in a moment with your drink and the information you require Madam Smahlt." The vampire then disappeared with the jug so I sat back down and waited for him to return, he didn't take long. The jug was filled up and he'd brought me a goblet to drink from rather than drinking out of the mug that I had been using, the meat I'd eaten had turned out to be venison, I requested some more so the same vampire went off again and he came back to me with a plateful of the hot roasted meat.**

 **"Thank you," I replied, then I said, "Can you find one of the vampires who holds a spear? I want to ask him something and I don't mind who it is, it doesn't matter."**

 **"Are you asking for the Guards to come here?" The vampire asked me.**

 **"Yes, if they are the ones who have spears." I answered back.**

 **"I'll go and fetch the Guards now Madam, you are perfectly safe in here though," the vampire reassured me before he vanished once again. I ate my meal, I cleared my plate because I was very hungry. I poured myself another drink but this time I drank from the goblet I'd been given, just then the Guards turned up.**

 **"Here are the Guards Madam Smahlt," the vampire told me as two very strong looking, spear carrying vampires approached me.**

 **"Thank you, I'll be Ok now so you can go." I responded, the vampire bowed to me and disappeared.**

 **"You requested our presence Madam Smahlt?" One of the Guards asked me.**

 **"Yes, I did. I just wondered if you would be kind enough to escort me to the Halls of Sport. I don't know the way," I admitted, then I said, "I figured that you'd know where to go."**

 **"Of course we know where the Halls of Sport are, come with us Madam Smahlt." one of the Guards answered. I finished my drink, stood up and followed the Guards to the Halls of Sport. I had one Guard infront of me and one Guard behind and slightly to the side of me. I felt very safe as I walked down tunnels that I hadn't yet been down, I would have hated it if I'd got lost and not found my way back to the main halls again.**

 **The Guards led me into the Halls of Sport, one of them had elected to stay with me and the other went back to his post. I found a place to sit and the Guard stood to the side of me, I said he could sit down but he told me that "Guards must remain on their feet whilst they're working at all times." I'd have to remember that. I watched the wrestling and then I saw a woman high up, she was standing on some planks of wood and she was fighting with another vampire.**

 **"What's happening up there?" I asked my Guard.**

 **"They are duelling on the Bars, that is Arra Sails up there and she is one of the best duellists, her opponent is somebody who I don't know personally but he seems to know what he's doing up there. The aim is to knock your opponent down to the ground by hitting them with your staff," my Guard explained to me as I watched the duel, then my Guard said, "Duels against Arra don't last long, she is a superb warrior. The Bars are her second home." Just as my Guard told me that the unknown vampire was knocked off the Bars and the duel was over.**

 **"It looks dangerous to me but also fun, maybe I'll have a go sometime but not against Arra," I remarked, then I said, "I'll ask Kurda about it later on." As I said this my Guard whipped around and raised his spear defensively, another vampire had approached me and attempted to sit down beside me but my Guard wouldn't let him get anywhere near me.**

 **"Back off, this area is for the Princes and their mates only," my Guard told the vampire who had approached me, then he said, "The seats for non-ranked vampires are over there." and my Guard pointed them out with his spear. The vampire who had approached me backed away and went over to the other seating area, I stayed where I was and watched Arra duelling another opponent, again the duel didn't last long but it was very entertaining to watch.**

 **"I might go over and introduce myself to Arra, I want to make some new friends," I said to my Guard who followed me over to where Arra was, then I asked my Guard, "Is Arra the type to make friends?"**

 **"If she deems you worthy of her friendship, she is very selective about who she associates with," my Guard told me, then he added, "Arra respects those who can fight, she likes strong vampires. Prove your worth on the battlefield and she'll be your friend for life."**

 **"Hello Arra," I said by way of a greeting, then I said, "I saw you duelling, it was awesome."**

 **"Yes well I like to show these men what I'm made of, were you looking to challenge me?" Arra asked me, I was surprised that she'd said something like this to me.**

 **"No, I haven't been trained yet. I arrived here yesterday and I was blooded yesterday too, I'm Kurda's mate. My name is Zara," I told Arra, then I offered, "I will duel you once I have been taught how to duel, how about that?"**

 **"Very well, come back to me when you've been trained. If I duelled you now then there would be no merit in it because the victory would be too easily gained, excuse me." Arra replied and then she disappeared.**

 **"That went well," I said to my Guard, then I added, "I guess I'm going to have to learn how to duel now."**

 **"Yes, you will have to learn. Arra is like that with everybody, you have to prove yourself to her. Normally she doesn't speak to vampires that she doesn't know, she was showing you great respect by talking to you," my Guard told me, then he continued, "If you want to be friends with Arra then your best bet is to make friends with Seba and Larten. They know Arra very well, if she sees that you are friends with them then she'll acknowledge you as an aquaintence of hers."**

 **"Ok, I'll do that then. Who are Seba and Larten?" I asked.**

 **"Seba Nile is the Quartermaster, he makes sure that everybody has what they need from quarters to clothing and Larten is his former assistant," then my Guard went on to tell me, "You'll spot Larten and Seba easily, just look out for two vampires who wear red all the time. Larten has a crop of orange hair and he has a young boy with him, that's Darren Shan. Darren is Larten's assistant, you could make friends with him because he is friends with Kurda."**

 **"I saw Larten earlier, I didn't know who he was then of course. He's not bad looking either as vampires go," I told my Guard in confidence, then I remarked, "As Kurda is my mate I will be faithful to him."**

 **"It has nothing to do with me, my job is to guard you until your mate arrives, that's it, you can do as you wish Madam Smahlt," my Guard remarked, then he said, "I advise you not to get too close to Larten, he and Arra used to be mates and they are very close. If you come inbetween them then it'll cause major problems for you and for your mate."**

 **"I wasn't going to do anything of the sort, I just want to make some friends." I stated.**

 **"I understand, I was just giving you some useful information," my Guard answered, then he said, "Larten has earnt the respect of most of the vampires in this mountain, if you can get him on your side then you'll have nothing to fear. The Vampire Clan know that anybody who is associated with Larten Crepsley is off limits, the non-ranked vampires would not dare to bother you if he and you were friends with one another, having a soon to be Prince as your mate also helps."**

 **"I'll remember that, I want to go and find him so that I can introduce myself to him," I said decisively, then I asked, "Will you help me to locate him?"**

 **"Yes, I'll not leave your side until your mate is standing next to you. Come with me." my Guard said and he led me out of the Halls of Sport, along the tunnels and back towards the main part of the mountain.**

 **We found Larten Crepsley and his assistant Darren Shan in the halls where the food was served, he was chatting to who I thought was Seba Nile and another young looking vampire.**

 **"Hello, I'm Zara. I am new here, I was blooded yesterday by my mate Kurda Smahlt," I said to Larten when he had finished talking to his associate.**

 **"Welcome to Vampire Mountain Madam Smahlt, this is my assistant Darren Shan, over there in the corner is Seba Nile and he is chatting to my good friend Gavner Purl, I will introduce you to them." Larten said, then he bowed to me and kissed my hand.**

 **"I met Arra earlier, she seems nice. We have made a deal that when I've been taught to duel then me and her will duel against each other on the Bars," I told Larten, then I said, "I'd like to become friends with her."**

 **"I will see what I can do," Larten replied to me politely, then he said, "Madam Smahlt meet Seba Nile, Seba this is the mate of Kurda, she was only blooded yesterday."**

 **"Hello, it is nice to meet you," I said to Seba, then Seba bowed to me.**

 **"Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet a new vampiress. Welcome to Vampire Mountain Madam Smahlt, I trust that you have everything you need?" Seba asked me.**

 **"I am content thank you. Kurda takes good care of me," I answered, then I said, "It is good to meet some of my fellow Clan members. I'm trying to make some new friends."**

 **"Gavner, have you met Madam Smahlt?" Larten asked Gavner, then Gavner remarked, "No, I have not had the honour until now. It is always an honour to meet the mate of a Prince." Gavnur bowed to me and he kissed my hand, then the young boy Darren Shan came over to us all.**

 **"This is Darren, he is my assistant. Darren this is Madam Smahlt, she is the mate of Kurda Smahlt." Larten told Darren, then Darren said casually, "Hi, I'm new here too, wanna be friends?"**

 **"Yes, of course." I answered then I laughed.**

 **"Darren, that is not how you address the mate of a Prince or soon to be Prince." Larten chastised Darren, then Darren said, "I'm sorry Mr Crepsley."**

 **"It is fine, I'm cool with it, I like how casual Darren is." I remarked, then I smiled at Darren and said, "You can call me Zara, that's my name. At least I've made one new friend tonight."**

 **"That is not our custom Madam Smahlt." Seba interjected.**

 **"It is my wish that Darren refers to me by my first name, you can all use my first name. I don't mind at all," I replied, then I said, "If it bothered me then I wouldn't have suggested it."**

 **"If that is your wish then we will respect it." Seba answered politely.**

 **"May I use your first names too?" I asked.**

 **"You may refer to me as Seba if you like, I will class you as one of my friends from now on," Seba said, then he added, "I am sure that Larten and Gavner will follow my lead."**

 **"It was nice to meet all of you, I'm looking forward to getting to know you all a bit better." I said to Larten, Darren, Seba and Gavner.**

 **"Likewise, we'd all like to get to know you too," Gavner said, then he said, "I'm a Vampire General so if you have any issues then let me know and I'll fix them for you, that's my job."**

 **"OK, I'll remember that Gavner." I concluded.**

 **"Hey Darren, d'you want to go to the Halls of Sport and watch the wrestling with me? I'm bored." I asked Darren.**

 **"Sure, if its alright with Mr Crepsley that is." Darren remarked.**

 **"I have no need of you, you may go." Larten said to Darren, then my Guard, Darren and myself all headed back to the Halls of Sport to watch the wrestling and the duelling, there wasn't much else to do around here after all.**

 **For me this was a new life, Kurda had rescued me from a bad situation and now I was a member of his Vampire Clan. I grew up thinking that vampires were fictional monsters but they are very real, you may even have walked past one on the street but you wouldn't know it. The sign of a good vampire is you don't know that they're a vampire. At least that's what Kurda had told me anyway.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kurda's mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 2: Learning to Duel**

 **I woke up feeling even more tired than I had felt before I'd gone to sleep, Kurda had kept me up all day and as such I hadn't really slept a lot. Kurda had told me that sometimes he didn't sleep at all and he wasn't kidding either, Kurda had a lot of things to do in the Princes' Dome, he was preparing for his Investiture and it involved a lot of parts, it was a very serious and auspicious occasion. As Kurda's mate I would be expected to stand by his side and watch him being invested. It would be a very special occasion for me too, I had to wear a long dark blue dress and I would be permitted to take part in the celebrations which would be held in the Princes' Dome itself after the Investiture had taken place. We still had a few months to go before the Investiture so we had time to prepare oursleves for it.**

 **Kurda was asleep next to me, he had done his duty as my mate and now he was resting. We had been having a rather intense mateship, my powers had kicked in now and it meant that when we mated Kurda didn't have to hold back any longer. I was very much in love with him, Kurda was in love with me too and he'd promised to find somebody who'd teach me how to duel on the Bars. I was looking forward to learning how to duel, the Vampire Clan treated me with respect and it seemed like whatever I asked for I got, nothing was too much trouble.**

 **Kurda was a great favourite with the vampires in the Clan, we'd walk down the tunnels hand in hand and every vampire we walked past would bow to us. I was getting used to hanging out in the Princes' Dome now, I had even moved into the Princes' private quarters where Kurda had been assigned his new quarters. We had a proper coffin in there, rugs on the floor, storage space, a fireplace and tapestries on the walls. On one occasion after meeting the Princes in person they had allowed me to try some of their personal blood that was reserved only for themselves. I was also permitted to eat at their High Table in the Hall of Khledon Lurt if I wished to do so, quite often though Kurda and I would eat together with our group of friends. I had made several friends since I had been at the mountain, now that I had established myself amongst them they accepted me as one of their own. I was on first name terms with a lot of vampires, the Generals liked me a lot too because I didn't shy away from my duties, I helped out and got my hands dirty just like everybody else did. It didn't matter to me that my mate was soon to become a Prince, I did what I could to be helpful and I tried to get along with everybody.**

 **Arra and I were getting along OK too, after our first frosty meeting she'd warmed up to me a little bit. Arra was happy that I was about to start learning how to duel, secretly I think she just wanted me to learn how to duel so that she could knock me down and claim yet another victory. I wasn't looking forward to facing Arra on the Bars, however I knew I'd have to face her sooner or later so I decided to get it over and done with.**

 **I entered the Halls of Sport and a vampire named Vanez Blaine was waiting for me, he was going to be teaching me how to duel. Vanez Blaine was the Games Master and he acted like the referee for all of the matches, Vanez only had one eye after losing one in a tustle with a lion but it hadn't really affected him in any way, he was still a formidable warrior and not somebody that you'd want to underestimate. I was pleased that Vanez had agreed to teach me the basics of duelling, the basics involved learning about offensive strikes, defensive blocks, how to fall if you got knocked off and some more advanced combination moves.**

 **I started by learning how to defend myself, I learnt how to prevent my opponent from cracking my skull open and then I learnt how to use that attack, it was called a skull-cracker. It was a viscious and potentially lethal attack if you used that move and it actually connected with your opponent's skull. Vanez had taught me how to block it and then how to launch a counter-attacking move. I noticed that Arra would watch me training, she took an interest in me and how I was getting along. Maybe she saw potential in me or something, I often wished that Arra was my Bars tutor but Vanez did a good job. When my training was completed I took part in my very first official duel, Vanez was the referee and I had to duel against Gavner Purl. Gavner and I were good friends, it wouldn't matter who won the duel as long as it was a good duel. Arra decided to watch, she stood by the Bars and looked upwards as I began my duel against Gavner. It was a great duel, Gavner tried his best but he was a bit rusty (he hadn't duelled in fifteen years) and I was freshly trained. I defeated him by using a wicked little combination move that Vanez had taught me, it happened to be a signiture move of Arra's too. I looked down at the gathered crowd, Gavner stood up and applauded me, Arra seemed to be impressed but she didn't say anything to me straight away, Larten and Seba had also watched the match, they had cheered for Gavner and when I defeated him they were there to commiserate with him over his defeat. Kurda had also watched the match, he had been cheering for me from the beginning and Darren had also cheered for me too, Darren and I had become really good friends over the past few weeks and we got on well together.**

 **I hopped off of the Bars and went over to where Kurda was standing, he hugged me and then he kissed me on the cheek because we were in public. Sometimes Kurda would put his arm around when we stood next to each other, however most of the time he would hold my hand and I'd rest my head on his shoulder.**

 **"That was a good duel, I enjoyed that." I said to Gavner afterwards, to which Gavner replied,**

 **"Yes, it was a good duel and you deserved to win. You are a far better duellist than I am Madam Smahlt."**

 **"Please, call me Zara. Everyone else does." I stated to Gavner, then I said, "I wonder what Arra thought of my performance."**

 **"Why don't you go ahead and ask her?" Gavner suggested to me as he took a gulp from his mug of ale.**

 **"Alright, I will do." I said decisively, then I walked over to Arra. She was talking with Seba so I waited until they'd finished their conversation.**

 **"Arra, what did you think of my duel? Did I do well?" I asked Arra after Seba had gone.**

 **"You were OK, if that was your first duel then it wasn't bad at all, I liked your combination move that you used, it is a move that I favour myself actually." Arra told me, then she said, "You have got a long way to go but that was as good a start as any. I hope that me and you will duel soon, I've been looknig forward to it for a while now."**

 **"Yes, we will duel soon Arra. I just want to get a bit more confidence first, I'd also like to have a few more victories under my belt before we meet each other on the Bars," I replied, then I added, "By the way Arra, I am looking forward to duelling against you too."**

 **"It was a good match, you have earnt my respect." Arra remarked, then she offered me her hand which I took willingly.**

 **"Power to you Arra, may glory shine upon your name," I said to Arra, then she replied,**

 **"I offer the same to you, my friend." Then Arra walked away as if nothing had happened.**

 **"Kurda, did you see that?" I asked, I was buzzing with excitement.**

 **"Yes, I did notice. Well done my darling, you'll go far in this Clan if you have vampires like Arra on your side," Kurda replied, then he asked, "Would you like to go for a walk in the woods? There is a full moon tonight and you can see all of the stars too."**

 **"Yes, I'd like that very much. I just want to let Larten and Seba know about me and Arra becoming friends then we can go." I remarked before I went to speak with Larten and Seba.**

 **"Hey Larten, Arra offered her my hand and we shook. She referred to me as her friend," I said excitedly, then I added, "I feel so honoured."**

 **"Arra is a worthy ally, you are very fortunate to have earnt her respect," Larten remarked, then he said, "Arra does not shake hands with anybody that she does not respect, for her to offer her hand first is very rare indeed."**

 **"Then I'm very lucky, I have to go because Kurda and I are going for a walk in the woods. Please let Seba know about this too." I responded and then I left to meet up with Kurda.**

 **Kurda met me in the tunnel outside the Halls of Sport, he took my hand and then he led me into a part of the mountain that I hadn't been to before. The tunnel led outside and then I was standing on the mountain itself. Kurda led me down a safe path as it was a very rocky area and the ground was uneven, we went through the woods and Kurda took me to this place that had a stream running by it. We stood by the stream and looked upwards towards the night sky, the moon was indeed full and the stars were shining, I could even see a couple of the planets tonight. I hadn't looked up at the sky for so long that I'd forgotten how beautiful it was.**

 **Kurda and I were standing opposite to each other, he took my hands in his and we kissed under the stars. I thought it was so romantic, Kurda really was very sweet and he was so kind. I was lucky to have him by my side and we were in love with each other. We kissed for an eternity, Kurda's work meant that we didn't get much time together so tender moments like this were special to us. The wind was blowing Kurda's hair all over the place, it normally looked so perfect. It didn't matter that the wind had messed it up because I had been running my fingers through it anyway. I always ran my fingers through Kurda's long, blonde locks when we kissed, it just felt so natural to me.**

 **After we had kissed for ages we stood still with our arms around each other, Kurda was a perfect gentleman too, he always treated me with utmost respect and we never argued either. I couldn't see myself being with anybody else, I hoped that Kurda would make me his Blessed Mate in the future but that wouldn't happen any time soon. Kurda kissed me again and I kissed him back, then he did something that I hadn't been expecting him to do. Kurda went down on one knee and he pulled out a ring from the inside of his robes.**

 **"Zara, my darling, would you consent to become my pledged mate?" Kurda asked me, I was still in shock.**

 **"Oh Kurda, I love you so much. Of course I'll become your pledged mate," I replied when I had got over the shock of what had just happened, then I asked, "What is a pledged mate?"**

 **"A pledged mate means that we are pledged to each other, it is like being engaged and vampires do this when they want to make their mateships official or permenant, of course if we became what's known as being pledged with intent then eventually we would become Blessed Mates," Kurda explained to me as he placed the ring on my finger, after had done that he said, "I pledge myself only to you Zara, I love you."**

 **"I pledge myself to you Kurda, I'm yours and only yours." I answered back, then we kissed each other again before we headed back inside the mountain. I was still in shock, I had not expected anything like that to happen and Kurda had made the moment so perfect, it was a moment that would stay with me for the rest of my life.**

 **"Zara, you'll have to start wearing a dark blue dress soon. All of the Princes' mates wear a dark blue dress to signify that they are the mate of a Prince. The dark blue dress matches our robes you see, it is a very great honour to have a Prince or soon to be invested Prince as your mate, to be pledged to one is an even bigger honour," Kurda told me, then he said, "I couldn't imagine taking any other vampiress as my mate Zara."**

 **"I have a dark blue dress, I just haven't worn it yet. I was going to wear it at your Investiture because it is my very best dress. I don't want it getting damaged," I remarked, "I'll start wearing it now if you want me to wear it."**

 **"No, save that dress for my Investiture, I'll get you an equally nice dress that you can wear. Actually I'll get you a couple of dresses because you'll need to wear one whilst the other is being washed," Kurda replied, then he added, "I'm sure that I'll be able to find you some suitable dresses and they won't be second hand either, I assure you."**

 **"Thank you Kurda, can I tell our group of friends that me and you are now pledged mates?" I asked.**

 **"They'll probably already know by now, news travels fast around here. I just want you to know that whatever happens in the coming weeks and months ahead I won't let anything bad happen to you," Kurda told me, then he said, "I've been rehearsing for my Investiture, there is so much to remember and now my brain feels fried because of it all."**

 **"Aww, poor Kurda. I almost feel sorry for you." I laughed, then I said, "Just look on the bright side darling, you'll be able to tell our friends what to do and they'll have to do it too."**

 **"That's a good point, I'll order Gavner to wear a dress for one evening, just for a joke and he'll have to obey me," Kurda remarked, then he added, "I'll order Larten to smile once in a while too, I mean it isn't going to kill him."**

 **When Kurda said this I burst out laughing, then Kurda laughed and we couldn't stop either, the idea of it was just too funny.**

 **"Kurda, you are hilarious," I said when I'd stopped laughing, then I said, "I'd love to see Gavner in a dress, we'd have to call him Greta instead if he was dressed up as a woman."**

 **"Ha ha, great idea Zara, I'll remember that one," Kurda chuckled, then he asked, "What are we like?"**

 **"We are the only vampires who have a sense of humour by the sounds of things Kurda," I answered, then I said, "You'll have to order the Clan to laugh more after you've been invested. Everybody around here is so serious all the time, it makes the atmosphere almost dark and depressing."**

 **"I agree, I'll try and get the Clan to have more fun if I can," Kurda agreed with me, then he said, "The Festival of the Undead is starting soon, that is usually filled with fun experiences."**

 **"I had heard about that, I just wasn't sure when it was. The dancing will be good, the only issue is that I don't know how to dance," I said sadly, then I asked, "Could you teach me how to dance?"**

 **"It is easy, don't worry about anything. Just go with it and let your instincts kick in," Kurda told me, then he said, "I'll show you a few basic steps when I've got a bit of free time."**

 **"That'd be awesome, thanks Kurda. I love you, don't forget that fact either," I reiterated, then I added, "I don't deserve you, you're too good for me."**

 **"That's sweet of you to say, I often think that you're the one who is too good for me if I'm being honest," Kurda admitted, then he remarked, "I love you too Zara." Kurda then led me into the hall where our group of friends were sitting and we joined them for a few drinks.**

 **"There you two are, you've been gone for ages, we were going to send out a search party." Gavner joked as he handed us some mugs of ale.**

 **"We were outside in the woods looking at the night sky, it is such a clear night tonight after all, it is normally cloudy or snowing at this time of year." I replied as I sipped my ale, it was vile. I really didn't like ale at all.**

 **"I'd prefer a goblet of wine, ale is not to my taste Gavner if I'm being honest," I remarked, then I jokingly asked, "Who have I got to kill to get a goblet of wine around here?"**

 **"Not me, I don't choose what comes up from the storerooms. If you want a goblet of wine then that's what you'll get, I'll send somebody to get you one." Gavner replied, then he summoned a non-ranked vampire and sent them off to fetch me some wine.**

 **"Here you are, drink this in the meantime." Kurda said as he handed me his own drink.**

 **"What is it?" I asked, I was curious.**

 **"It is port, you'll like it if you like wine. This is from our personal supply too so it'll be high quality," Kurda replied, then he said, "I can't let you go thirsty after all."**

 **"Thanks love," I replied with a smile, then I said, "You really do take very good care of me." I tasted the port, it was far better than what I normally drank. I took a couple of sips and then I took a couple more, I left a little bit in the bottom of the goblet for Kurda to finish off. The wine arrived shortly after the port was gone, I filled my goblet up to the top with wine and then I drank every last drop of it.**

 **"Are you feeling better now?" Kurda asked me.**

 **"Well, I'm not as thirsty as I was before," then I asked, "When do we get to eat?"**

 **"Are you hungry again?" Kurda asked me, he sounded surprised.**

 **"Well I have been doing a lot of exercise recently, I need to keep my strength up for when I need it most," I winked at Kurda, then I said, "I trust you understand."**

 **"Yes, I understand perfectly darling." Kurda remarked, then the food arrived and we stuffed ourselves until we were fit to burst.**

 **"I've eaten so much that I can barely move now," I said to Kurda, then I added, "That was a great meal, I love roasted venison."**

 **"I agree, it is one of my favourite meals too. I'll always pick venison over anything else, it seems to fill me up nicely." Kurda nodded as he poured himself yet another goblet of wine.**

 **"We need bigger goblets too." I replied with a smirk.**

 **"Yes, bigger goblets would be more favourable." Kurda agreed as he downed his fifth goblet of wine, I was on my sixth and it didn't last long either.**

 **"Steady on, you'll get drunk if you aren't careful." Gavner told me, then he said, "The mates of Princes should not get drunk, they have a standard that they have to uphold."**

 **"Oh screw that, I'm enjoying myself Gavner," then I revealed, "I am celebrating after all."**

 **"Celebrating what exactly?" Gavner asked me.**

 **"My pledged mateship of course, didn't you know?" I replied before I showed off my pledge ring.**

 **"No, I had not a clue. Congratulations to the both of you and I mean that," Gavner replied, then he announced, "I'd like to raise a toast to Kurda and Zara, they've just become pledged mates, please join me in raising your mugs in celebration of this revelation, to Kurda and Zara, our soon to be Prince and his pledged mate, cheers."**

 **"Thanks." I replied, I was blushing because I wasn't used to people raising toasts to me.**

 **"To Kurda and Zara, may you be happy together." Larten added, then he finished off his ale before slamming his mug down onto the table.**

 **"To Kurda and Zara, our Vampire Prince to be and his future Blessed Mate, congratulations." Seba acknowledged.**

 **"Thanks everybody, it means a lot to us." Kurda remarked.**

 **"To Kurda and Zara, congratulations on your pledged mateship." Arra concluded.**

 **I showed everybody my pledge ring, it sparkled in the torchlight. I think it had diamonds in it but I wasn't sure.**

 **"What stones are in my pledge ring?" I asked Kurda.**

 **"I chose a selection of stones, you've got two diamonds and a ruby, then next to the ruby is an emerald and finally you've got a sapphire. I thought that a selection of stones would make your ring more unique," Kurda told me, then he asked, "Do you like it?"**

 **"Yes, it is a beautiful ring Kurda, I love it." I replied, then I stole a kiss from Kurda's unsuspecting lips. We didn't normally kiss in public, however it wasn't a full-on kiss it was just a little bit more than a peck. It wasn't like we were making out with tongues or anything, that we saved for the privacy of our quarters. Kurda kissed me back and he was holding my hand under the table which was sweet, Kurda was very affectionate and loving towards me.**

 **After we had let our food digest we went into the Halls of Sport, I wanted to duel again because I loved the adrenaline rush that I got from it. Kurda and I faced each other, it wasn't an official duel but it was still fun to spar with him. Sparring matches are informal matches that are held between friends, they are basically practice matches. You could call a sparring match the rehearsal before a real duel takes place, Kurda showed me a few things, we stayed on the Bars for quite a while whilst we practised. Arra was watching us sparring, we weren't that bad either.**

 **"Are you two going to duel each other or not? You've been sparring for ages." Arra complained to us.**

 **"We were just practising but we're finished now Arra, you can duel somebody if you want to for there seems to be no shortage of challengers tonight." I pointed out to Arra as I hopped off of the Bars and Kurda followed suit. We watched Arra defeat challenger after challenger, she really was the undisputed, undefeated Queen of the Bars and nobody could doubt that fact.**

 **"How many victories have you won now Arra?" I asked.**

 **"Tonight I've won eight matches but in total I've won over two hundred, I've lost once in the last twenty years, that's pretty impressive right?" Arra asked me as she hung her personal staff back onto the rack where the staves were kept.**

 **"Yes, that is very impressive Arra. I haven't got a hope in hell of defeating you but I'll face you all the same. I promised I would duel you after all, I never break my promises," I told Arra, then I said, "I am not afraid of losing to you, I just hope that it will be a good, clean match."**

 **"Spoken like a true warrior, my instincts about you were spot on," Arra revealed then she said, "I'm happy to call you one of my friends, for you've earnt the right to call me your friend Zara."**

 **"That means a lot to me, I value your friendship far more than any materialistic items I own," I admitted, then I said, "I hope that me and you will be friends for many years to come Arra."**

 **"Just remember this one piece of advice Zara, you should be gracious in defeat and humble in victory. Remember this and you won't go far wrong," Arra told me, then she said, "If you'll excuse me, I need some more wine. The duelling has made me thirsty." Arra vanished in a blur, fully blooded vampires can move extremely fast if they choose to do so. I was only half blooded but I was still quicker and stronger than any human would be.**

 **I loved being a vampiress, it was far better than the life I'd left behind. I was living in a one bedroom flat on my own when I met Kurda, I had been brought up in care and I had no family to speak of. The Vampire Clan was my family now, I finally felt a sense of belonging, I felt like I'd found my place and I was happy to be here in this mountain refuge. I finally had friends and somebody loved me, I'd never been loved by anybody until Kurda had come along and rescued me. I was doing my best to fit in, I helped out where I could, I was also a loving and loyal pledged mate to Kurda.**

 **I would never dream of being unfaithful to Kurda, I only had eyes for him. Kurda only had eyes for me too, at least that's what I believed at the time. I was blinded by love and I couldn't see what was going on behind the scenes. Had I known what Kurda's plans were I'd have cut all ties with him, I mean who wants to be the pledged mate of a traitor? Of course I was just as much in the dark as the Vampire Clan were, looking back on it now I should have spotted the signs but I didn't spot anything until it was too late to do anything about it, however if not for Kurda's treachery I wouldn't be where I am now but I'll tell you about that later on, right now I need to continue with the story as it unfolded...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 3: Facing Arra on the Bars**

 **A few nights after I had become pledged mates with Kurda I made up my mind to finally duel against Arra, I wanted to get it over and done with. I had won a few more duels since I had defeated Gavner but not that many. At least now when I stood on the Bars I had found my balance and I could duel quite well, I was nowhere near up to Arra's standard but I was improving with every duel I won.**

 **I rember this fate-filled night as if it were yesterday even though it seems so long ago now. I can look back on this night as the night that sparked off the beginning of the end of life as I knew it, however at the time I had absolutely no idea about the events that were going to unfold...**

 **I remember walking into the Halls of Sport and choosing a staff from the rack, I hopped up onto the Bars and I called down to Arra because she was on the ground.**

 **"Hey Arra, wanna duel me?"**

 **"It is about time that we faced each other, I've been waiting for ages." Arra replied, she grabbed her staff, jumped up onto the Bars and prepared to duel me. I was finally ready to face Arra, for I had been trained and now was a good a time as any to duel.**

 **"We should wait for our supporters before we duel or they'll miss the show," I said to Arra as I twirled my staff around and practised a few moves.**

 **"I agree, Vanez is not here either, he must be here to referee the duel or it won't count." Arra remarked as she too twirled her staff around, then she threw it up into the air and caught it. A few minutes later Vanez had returned to the Halls of Sport, it didn't take him long to see what was about to take place so he went to fetch everybody. This was the duel that everybody had been waiting to watch, was Arra going to claim yet another victory or was I about to do the unthinkable and knock her off? That was the question on everyone's mind as they gathered in the Halls of Sport and filled up the spectator seats, of course our friends would be standing underneath the Bars and cheering for us. At the end of it all, one of us would be on the ground and one of us would be standing on the Bars in victory but who out of me or Arra was about to win this duel?**

 **Kurda came into the Halls of Sport, he hopped up onto the Bars which he was allowed to do because the duel hadn't yet started, he kissed me, then he hugged me and finally he said to me, "Good luck darling, you've got this. Just remember what I taught you and you'll be fine."**

 **"As long as I'm still alive at the end of it I'll be happy." I replied, then I kissed Kurda back, Kurda hopped off the Bars, I turned to face Arra and I prepared myself to begin the duel.**

 **"Duellists, are you ready?" Vanez called up to us.**

 **"I'm ready, let's do this." I replied.**

 **"I am prepared." Arra stated clearly.**

 **"Duellists, salute each other," Vanez told us so we knocked our staves together to signify the salute, then Vanez said, "Duellists, you may begin, on guard." This was our cue to start, I immediately hopped backwards and upwards onto a much higher bar. I had a plan in mind as if this were a chess game. I held my staff defensively, as I was high up Arra couldn't reach me from where she was so she too leaped upwards onto a bar that was almost as high as mine was. Arra started her duel with an expert display of combination moves, I blocked as many of them as I could, I tried to strike back but Arra was too quick for me. I flipped over her head and brought the end of my staff down so that it'd connect with her skull, Arra hadn't been expecting me to pull off a move like this, as a result she mis-timed her block and my staff hit its mark. Arra yelled out in pain and shock, now she really wanted to knock me off, this was part of my plan. I had to make her frustrated and angry so that she'd lose her focus, if she lost her focus then she'd make an error and then I would hopefully capitalise on her error.**

 **We continued to duel, it went on for far longer than I'd expected it to last. Normally duels against Arra are over in a matter of minutes but not this one, we were both determined to win the duel. I wanted to win the duel so that I could prove my worth to the Clan and Arra wanted to win just for the sake of winning, at least my reasons for wanting to win were better than Arra's. I could hear my supporters cheering for me, that gave me even more determination to win. I could hear a lot of vampires cheering for Arra but that was to be expected, Arra was very popular and all the vampires wanted her to be their mate. Arra was famous for turning down offers of mateships, she would only ever consent to a mateship with a Prince or with somebody who had proven their worth to her on the battlefield. As such many vampires didn't get anywhere near her, she was almost like an un-obtainable jewel that everybody wanted but nobody could have.**

 **One look from Arra and vampires would fall under her spell, she had such power over the Clan and she relished in it too. The only vampire who had successfully mated with Arra was Larten Crepsley, he had a way with women and he was rumoured to be very good when it came to the physical side of mating, according to what I was told Larten could make any vampiress his and it only took him a week, after one week the vampiress in question would have fallen completely and utterly scars over the Bars in love with him. I don't know how he did it either, not that it was any of my business. I was happy to be pledged to Kurda, I had after all given him my purity and that was something that I could only give to one vampire.**

 **Eventually the duel came to its dramatic conclusion, I was still duelling with all of my skills and I really did try my best to win, when Arra mis-timed a jump onto a higher bar and lost her balance it was the error that I'd been waiting for. Arra was momentarily unsteady on her feet; I struck her with the most powerful combination move I knew and it worked. It was called a side-swiping skull-cracker. For this combination move to work you initially perform a side-swipe strike, as your opponent goes to block the side-swipe strike if you time it correctly you can perform a skull-cracker which is enough to finish off the strongest of opponents if it is accurate and hard enough which mine was. My staff connected with Arra's head, she was dazed because I'd hit her that hard, she dropped her staff in the confusion and I gave her one last strike to her body which made her go tumbling to the ground.** _ **I had won the duel...**_

 **I stood on the Bars for a few moments, I wasn't quite sure what had happened for a minute. The next thing I knew was the crowd beneath me erupting in cheers and they were chanting my name. I looked downwards, I saw that Arra was on the ground still after she'd fallen and that was when I realised that I'd defeated her. I was victorious, against all the odds I had won the duel. I hopped off of the Bars and Kurda threw his arms around me, we were jumping up and down in celebration and my supporters were going wild. I got bundled by them and then Kurda lifted me up onto his shoulders, it was insane. I still had my staff in my hand, I decided to keep it as a trophy and nobody objected to that either.**

 **I went over to where Arra was after my supporters had calmed down a little bit, Arra seemed to be alright which was a relief because I had given her two hard whacks on the head. I was worried that I'd seriously injured her but vampire skulls are very hard and they can take a lot of punishment.**

 **"Arra, I hope that I didn't hurt you, it was a good, clean fight," I said to Arra, then I asked her, "Are you OK?"**

 **"I'll live, that's the important thing. Zara I don't know what to say, you defeated me against all the odds, you are one tough vampiress," Arra replied, then she said, "Tonight you have proven yourself to be a worthy member of our Clan. You deserved your victory, you faught well and I cannot deny that fact. Well done, that was a superb duel."**

 **"Thanks, I hope that this won't affect our friendship," I replied, then I asked, "We are still friends right?"**

 **"Zara, after tonight's performance you have proven yourself to be a true vampiress, I am only friends with those who I deem to be worthy Clan members. You are most certainly a worthy Clan member, you've earnt my respect and of course we are still friends," Arra answered, then she added, "I offer you my hand in recognition of our friendship, power to you and may the Vampire Gods look favourably upon you tonight and always."**

 **"Thank you Arra, may the luck of the vampires always be with you." I answered as I took Arra's hand and shook it. I felt so honoured that I had earnt the respect and friendship of Arra, it meant a lot to me. Kurda came over to me as I was shaking hands with Arra,** **Kurda's nod of approval made me feel like I was doing the right thing by befriending Arra.**

 **"That was a great duel, you both showed strength and determination upon the Bars and it was great to watch. Both of you are talented duellists, I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you," Kurda commented, he said it to both of us. A few moments later Kurda added, "I love it when vampiresses show off their fighting skills."**

 **"I was well trained, what can I say?" I asked.**

 **"I am still in shock, I knew that the duel was going to be good but not that good. I hope you don't feel too disappointed Arra, you gave it everything you had after all," Kurda remarked, then he said, "You couldn't have lost to a more worthy opponent."**

 **"I lost my focus, I have no excuses and I'm not happy with myself for making such stupid errors either. It'll never happen again, I've learnt a very valuable lesson tonight." Arra replied as I offered her a goblet of wine which she accepted.**

 **"You were a very strong duellist, there were points during the duel when I thought that I was just moments away from defeat and I mean that Arra, you had me on the run at one point and I literally had to leap out of the way of your attacking strikes. I was really scared but I didn't let it show," I admitted, then I said, "I learnt a lot too, duels like that are ideal for allowing me to put into practice everything I've been taught."**

 **"You've been well trained, that much is clear," Arra stated, then she said, "You should keep on duelling because you are obviously talented, don't waste this opportunity Zara."**

 **"I will keep on duelling because I enjoy it, whether I win or lose doesn't matter as long as I remain gracious in defeat and humble in victory, just like you told me," I reiterated, before acknowledging, "It was good advice that you gave me too Arra, I'll remember it."**

 **"It was the same advice that my mentor gave to me before I learnt how to duel and now I've passed it onto you," Arra stated, then she said, "Maybe one night you'll have an assistant and then you'll pass this advice onto them too, I currently do not have any assistants but I am looking for a new one."**

 **"I haven't thought about taking on an assistant, I don't think I need one if I'm honest," I remarked, then I asked, "How many have you had?"**

 **"I've had four successful assistants and one that I dismissed, out of those five assistants three are still alive and they are all living here. One was killed in a fight with vampaneze, he died on his feet like a warrior and the other one was killed by a rabid bear, she faught like a demon but the bear was too strong and I didn't get there in time to save her, I did my best but her injuries were too severe." Arra answered me, she looked sad, it was as if remembering that event had caused her pain.**

 **"At least you've had some success, it must have been hard to lose two of your assistants. I couldn't imagine the pain you went through," I responded, then I added, "I'm sorry that you had to go through that Arra, I really am."**

 **"It happened a long time ago and I don't dwell upon the past, I only look forward to the future. I'll advise you to do the same thing Zara." Arra concluded.**

 **"I agree, I'm going to the Hall of Khledon Lurt now, I'm starving. You don't realise how much energy you use during a duel until you actually take part in one," I told Arra and Kurda, then I said, "I need a good meal and a hot drink."**

 **"Well we don't really have hot drinks here but I could get you some hot milk if you'd like, Prince Vancha loves milk as much as he loves blood," Kurda offered, then he added, "I won't get it in person of course, I meant that I'll send somebody to get it for you."**

 **"Yes, that'd be nice. I need something warm and non-alcoholic. I've drunk enough blood already so milk would be good thanks," I replied as Kurda called a non-ranked vampire over to where we were.**

 **"You will take this goblet, wash it out and then you'll fill it up to the top with fresh, warm milk. Bring it to the Princes' Dome when it is ready," Kurda ordered the non-ranked vampire, then he added, "Make sure that it is still hot when it reaches the Princes Dome too."**

 **"As you wish Sire, I won't be long." The non-ranked vampire replied as he took the goblet and disappeared with it.**

 **"I'm tired Kurda, I need to rest for a while," I stated to Kurda, then I said, "The duel used up a lot of my energy."**

 **"I'm not surprised, you were up there for forty minutes. Duels against Arra never normally last that long, you gave it absolutely everything you had and you won, I'm so very proud of you my darling." Kurda told me when we were back in our quarters.**

 **"I did my best, I remembered what Vanez taught me and I am so happy to hear that you are proud of me, that's all I want Kurda," I admitted, then I added, "I'm not going to duel again for a while, as exciting as it can be I need to focus on other things. My hand to hand combat skills are basic to say the least, I need to practice them until I can defend myself without using a weapon if necessary."**

 **"I will speak to a friend of mine, I'm sure that he'll be able to teach you a few hand to hand moves, he is famed for his skills in combat without the need for weapons after all," Kurda winked, then he remarked, "Before you know it you'll be as lethal with your hands as you are with a staff."**

 **"I hope that I'll never have to fight anybody, however at least I'll be able to defend myself if I have to," I remarked, then I added, "Of course I am not planning on being put into a situation where I'll have to defend myself."**

 **"You never know what dangers may be around the corner, it is better to be safe than sorry. You know me Zara, I hate getting my hands bloody and I hate fighting too. I'm one of the smallest vampires here, all of the others are much more muscular than I am. Zara, muscles will only get you so far, I picked brains over brawn and that's why I'm going to become a Vampire Prince," Kurda explained to me, then he added, "If I have my way then the vampires will live in peace alongside the vampaneze, there will be no more fighting or needless killings taking place either."**

 **"That sounds good, I hate the idea of going into battle and fighting a futile war without end," I replied, then I stated, "You'll be a great Vampire Prince Kurda. I believe in you."**

 **"I'm glad that somebody believes in me, whatever happens in the coming weeks and months I'll make sure that you are safe and well looked after, I love you too much to let anything bad happen to you," Kurda told me, then he said, "I think that vampire is on his way here with your hot milk now, I can hear his footsteps."**

 **"My hearing isn't as sharp as yours but I can still hear much better than a human can, I can see really well now too and I can smell loads of things that I never used to notice before," I admitted, then I said, "Being a vampire isn't all that bad really, I'm enjoying this life much more than my previous life."**

 **"I rescued you from a bad situation, you belong here with us and you've proven that you shouldn't be underestimated either." Kurda stated as he opened the door of our quarters, then he handed me my goblet of hot milk and I sipped it carefully.**

 **"Thanks, this is just what I needed. It tastes good, the only downside is that the goblet is a bit hot to touch because it is made from metal. I don't want to get burnt after all," I remarked, then I said, "At least the milk is still hot and not just warm."**

 **"Well you asked for hot milk so that is what you were given, I told you that whatever you want you will get as long as it is a reasonable request," Kurda reiterated to me, then he asked, "How're you feeling now?"**

 **"I'm feeling much better now, thanks. I just need to sleep and eat then I'll be ready to face whatever the night brings," I replied as I finished my hot milk. "By the way," I said, "I like the guard who was with me when I first arrived here, could you assign him to me please? I feel safer when he's around."**

 **"Sure, I was going to do that anyway. I would hate to think of you being left unprotected whilst I'm busy working in the Princes' Dome," Kurda answered, then he said, "His name is Olaf and he's one of the best guards that we have, at least he does his job effectively."**

 **"I noticed how attentive he was towards me, Olaf was firm but fair. He was respectful and helpful, he was also alert and he didn't let anybody get anywhere near me unless they were a friend of mine," I told Kurda, then I asked, "Do you really think I need a Guard?"**

 **"It is necessary for you to have security of some kind, all of the Princes' mates have a Guard, it is expected and if you didn't have one then it'd look like I wasn't doing my job properly," Kurda answered, then he said, "I've already had Vampire Generals asking me why you weren't accompanied in the Halls of Sport before I arrived, fair enough you were in there with your friends but that isn't enough according to them."**

 **"I understand, thanks for taking such good care of me. I appreciate it," I acknowledged, then I said, "I love you Kurda."**

 **"I love you too Zara, I'll never let any harm come to you. I'd give my life for yours if I had to," Kurda admitted, then he added, "I hope it doesn't come to that though."**

 **"I hope that it won't ever come to that either, if anything happened to you I'd be heartbroken, I couldn't live without you now Kurda because I love you too much." I stated before I kissed Kurda with some degree of passion. We kissed each other for a while, then we got into our coffin and went to sleep. Kurda had a lot of work to do so he needed his rest and I needed to let my battered body recover, Arra had struck me with some degree of force when we were on the Bars so I was bruised but apart from that I was OK.**

 **When I woke up I was sore and I noticed that parts of my body were a nasty purple colour, the adrenaline that had pulsed through my body during the duel had prevented me from feeling Arra's strikes, however the pain had since set in so I looked like a giant plum in places. I was a bit stiff but I mananged to shake it off, I got myself dressed and I went down to the hall to get breakfast. I was now wearing one of my customary dark blue dresses and it suited me. I had eight dark blue dresses and they were all different styles, three of them were mid length, two of them came above my knee and the other three were floor length. One of the floor length dresses was the kind of dress you'd wear at a ball, it was all puffy and it was made from this satin type material. I usually wore one of my mid length dresses on a nightly basis alongside my deep blue cloak that had a fur trim.**

 **My Guard Olaf met me outside the Princes' Dome and he escorted me to the hall when I went to get my breakfast. On the menu tonight was bat broth, venison, roasted duck or some kind of soup. I didn't fancy any of those things so I helped myself to some fresh mountain berries and oats from the storeroom, I mixed them with warm milk and nuts to make a kind of fruity, nutty porridge, it wasn't bad either and I ate two bowlfuls of it before I no longer felt hungry. After I had eaten I went to the Medical Wing to get my bruises treated, my body was covered in them. I had duelled on the Bars so it was only natural that I would have a few bruises, I just didn't expect to have so many.**

 **I entered the Medical Wing and I spoke to one of the Medics who was on duty. I sat down on the examination bench, it was made from wooden planks and animal bones served for its legs. It was basic to say the least but it served its purpose, there were very few if any modern medical supplies available at Vampire Mountain. As a result of this the Clan made the best of what they could find in the surrounding environment. A lot of injuries were treated with herbal remedies and they actually helped, however some wounds couldn't really be treated because they were too severe and the equipment wasn't available. In cases of severe injury the only options were to amputate the limb if it was an injured limb, clean it out and stitch it up or put pressure on it until the bleeding stopped, leave it and hope for the best. A lot of vampires died from their injuries, however if there were modern supplies then they may have survived. Battle wounds were the worst, they could range from anything to deep gashes and stab wounds to losing one or both eyes and loss of blood was the thing that killed most vampires, the wound wouldn't be severe in itself but if a vein or artery had been cut open then they were as good as dead, it was either that or they'd get gangrene and die anyway.**

 **I prayed to the Vampire Gods for protection from harm, I asked them to keep watch over Kurda and I so that no harm would come to us. Had I known then that some of my prayers were falling on deaf ears I wouldn't have bothered, however at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.**

 **I remained on the examination bench for quite a while whilst the Medic applied a herbal salve to all of my bruises, it was supposed to reduce the swelling and make the bruising disappear. My Guard remained with me for the entire time that I was being treated, he turned away from me so that he wouldn't see my body which was nice of him to do, most Guards would have jumped at the chance to see the partially nude body of a vampiress.**

 **"I'm going to treat your back now, you'll have to turn around slightly Madam Smahlt so that I can get to it easier," the Medic instructed me so I turned around slightly and let the Medic apply his salve to my bruised back.**

 **"I'll just put some of this on your arm and then I'll bandage you up, after that you're free to go Madam." The Medic told me as he tended to my arm, then he wrapped some bandages around my bruised areas and tied them into position. After that was done I got myself dressed and by this point I could feel the salve beginning to work, it had a cooling effect on my inflamed bruises. I didn't feel quite so sore as I had done before the salve had been applied which was good, I did however still look like a giant plum in places.**

 **"Thanks, do I need to come back for more treatment?" I asked the Medic.**

 **"I'd like to check on you in a few nights' time just to see if the swelling has gone down, if it hasn't then I'll try another treatment that is stronger but you should be fine. I will advise you in confidence to take it easy when you and your mate are alone together, if you get any further injuries then it'll take you longer to heal and I can only do so much for you Madam Smahlt," the Medic answered, then he added, "We normally ask for a contribution of some kind in exchange for your treatment."**

 **"Oh, I didn't realise that. What do you want?" I asked, I needed to know so that I could arrange something.**

 **"A barrel of ale will suffice, could you have one delivered to my quarters please Madam Smahlt?"**

 **"I will speak with Seba and he will arrange it, it is his department after all." I replied.**

 **"Very well then, you can go," the Medic remarked, then he added, "Remember to come back in here for a check-over in a few nights' time, if the pain gets worse or if the swelling doesn't go down then I'll need to know about it sooner rather than later."**

 **"Alright, I'll come back in here if I have any further problems, I'm going now because I've got stuff to do." I stated, then I stood up from the examination bench and walked out of the Medical Wing with my Guard following close behind me. I went to the Halls of Sport, I wanted to let Arra know that I'd received medical treatment after the battering that she'd given me. I found Arra on the Bars but she wasn't duelling, it looked as though she'd just won a duel because there was somebody on the floor underneath the Bars.**

 **"Hey Arra, come down here for a minute. I need to tell you something," I called up to Arra, she hopped off the Bars and came over to where I had chosen to sit.**

 **"I've just won a duel and you missed it, oh well there'll be others of course. You can learn a lot by watching somebody you know," Arra said with a sly look in my direction.**

 **"I know that, I'm sorry that I missed your duel but I was in the Medical Wing getting patched up. After our duel I was badly bruised and swollen in places so I got the Medic to put some salve on my bruises, after that he bandaged me up and sent me on my way," I replied to Arra. Arra was quiet for a few moments, she didn't say anything at all, I then said, "I'm alright, don't worry about me. I knew the risks when I stepped up onto the Bars and I paid the price for it, yes I won the duel but I took a battering in the process."**

 **"I'm sorry if my attacks were too powerful. I forgot that you are only half blooded, I'll not take it easy on you of course but I'll limit the amount of combinations I use against you, at least until you've been fully blooded and you can cope with them," Arra remarked, this was an unexpected response and I didn't quite know how to reply at first. Arra broke the silence by saying, "I hope that you aren't too badly hurt my friend. Maybe I did go a little bit overboard but I can't change the past I'm afraid."**

 **"I'm tough, I can handle it. If I couldn't cope with duelling then I wouldn't have stepped up onto the Bars in the first instance," I answered, then I asked, "How's young Darren? I haven't seen him recently."**

 **"Darren was in here earlier this evening, he decided to challenge me because he was put up to it by Vanez and Gavner, I soon sent him crashing down to the ground. He blacked out and that's as much as I know, I haven't really spoken with Larten to be honest with you, we are civil to each other but there is no chance that we'll reinstate our mateship term, I've moved on and I'm happy with my new mate. By all rights I should be wearing a dark blue dress, however I cannot duel whilst I'm wearing it so I took it off and changed into my regular clothing," Arra revealed to me in secrecy, then she added, "We'll be seeing much more of each other now that I'm moving into the quarters that are next to yours."**

 **"Are you telling me that you are the mate of a Prince?" I asked, I couldn't quite believe it.**

 **"I am indeed the mate of a Prince, we agreed our term yesterday evening. I'm with Prince Mika now, didn't you see my Guard standing by the Bars?" Arra questioned me.**

 **"No, I hadn't noticed but I can see him now that you've pointed him out to me. I've had too many things on my mind to worry about who my friends are mating with, if you are happy then that's the only thing that matters Arra. I'd love to walk into the Hall of Khledon Lurt with you, our Guards and our respective mates by our side, nobody would be expecting to see you wearing a dark blue dress, you've been unavailable for so long that most of the Clan members have given up on asking you to be their mate,"**

 **"I have standards, I don't just mate with any old random vampire. I pick my mates carefully, I'll go and get changed and then we'll walk into the Hall of Khledon Lurt together, I'd love to hear Larten's opinion on the subject," Arra stated, then she said, "I bet he'll be disappointed but he had his chance with me and he blew it. He was unfaithful and too suffocating, I couldn't even breathe without him being right by my side and I need to feel free sometimes, I need my own space."**

 **"That is fair enough, I'll wait here whilst you go and get changed, I'm hungry so I was heading to the Hall of Khledon Lurt anyway," I replied, then I added, "I wonder if they'll serve different food tonight, I'm sick of bat broth. The taste and smell of it make me feel ill."**

 **"I can't stand it either, I tend to hunt and prepare my own meals because it is easier that way." Arra answered, then she vanished in a white blur. I waited in the Halls of Sport for Arra to return, I knew that she wouldn't be long and sure enough about twenty minutes later Arra and her Guard approached the seating area.**

 **"I love your dress, I see that you've changed your hairstyle too, it looks ornate now and I like it," I complimented Arra, then I said, "My dresses aren't as nice as your dress."**

 **"This dress is second hand, it is temporary until Seba can sort something out for me because this one is too big, however it was the only dark blue dress that Seba could find," Arra admitted to me, then she added, "I had to alter it myself so that it wasn't hanging off of me, it'll do for now but it will be replaced in due course with something more suitable that fits me properly, I can guarentee that."**

 **"I wonder how the Clan will react to you, they won't be expecting to see you in a dark blue dress that much is for certain," I mused, then I asked, "What is Prince Mika's talisman?"**

 **"It is a dragon, I'll show you it if you want." Arra replied as she pulled her talisman out from underneath her dress, it was on a gold coloured chain. Kurda's talisman was a snake with ruby eyes on a silver chain. Prince Arrow had a silver arrow, Prince Vancha had a wolf's head with emerald eyes and Prince Paris had a celtic knot that had a sapphire in the centre of it. All of the Princes wore their talismans on chains around their necks unless they had a mate, if they had a mate then their mate would wear the talisman instead as proof that they were indeed the mate of a Vampire Prince. Only the mates of Vampire Princes were permitted to wear the talismans that the Princes used to represent themselves, rings were also given but only if the Prince wished to pledge himself to his mate.**

 **"I like that talisman, my snake one is pretty cool though. I often wonder why Kurda chose a snake to represent himself, he'd have been better off picking a bear or a lion maybe. Snakes aren't thought of very highly in the Clan, not with their blood being highly toxic and all," I remarked to Arra as we practically glided down the tunnel towards the Hall of Khledon Lurt.**

 **"Maybe Kurda wanted something unique, a snake isn't an obvious choice after all. Kurda does tend to go against the grain sometimes," Arra stated, then she added, "It doesn't matter what talisman is chosen as long as it is an easily recognisable symbol that the entire Clan can associate with an individual Prince."**

 **"I understand, I guess it makes sense. Other vampiresses have in the past worn blue dresses at the Festival of the Undead for example and they couldn't be told apart from the Princes' mates, as a result of this these vampiresses were given preferencial treatment and privileges that they shouldn't have been granted," I told Arra, then I added, "The nerve of certain Clan members is beyond me, I'd never dream of posing as the mate of a Prince just to get special treatment. I'm not that deceitful."**

 **"No, you are not. You have much more respect than that and you don't need to pose as the mate of a Prince, you are after all in a legitimate pledged mateship with Kurda who is soon to become a Vampire Prince," Arra stated, then she added, "The Hall of Khledon Lurt is before us now."**

 **"So it is, we got here quicker than usual tonight. I'm starving, I hope they'll have plenty of food to chose from, if I so much as smell bat broth again I'll probably puke." I admitted to Arra as we entered the Hall of Kledon Lurt. To our surprise the Hall was rather full, there were far more vampires in here than we'd expected to see, there were however some spare seats for us at the High Table where the Princes and their mates sat if they chose to eat their meals in here. We made our way over to where the food was and I grabbed a plate, I kept forgetting that my food would be brought to me so I started to help myself to some lamb, at least I think it was lamb but I wasn't certain. I sat down at the High Table and ate it, it tasted pretty good to be fair although it could have done with a sauce of some kind. Arra joined me at the High Table, she had chosen some wild boar to eat as she was bored of venison and there wasn't enough lamb to go around.**

 **"Excuse me Arra but you cannot sit here despite who your friend is," one of the new Vampire Generals remarked.**

 **"Actually I can sit here, I'm Madam Ver Leth so I can sit wherever I damn well choose," Arra snapped back at the Vampire General before she called her Guard over for good measure, then Arra asked sarcastically, "Have you met my Guard?"**

 **"N-no I haven't met him, I've obviously made a terrible mistake. I apologise Madam Ver Leth, had I known beforehand about your new status I never would have questioned your right to sit at the High Table." the rather pink faced and embarrassed looking Vampire General remarked apologetically.**

 **"Well now you know so you can go, I want to finish my meal in peace," Arra ordered, then she added, "By the way my goblet is empty, get somebody to bring me a jug of wine."**

 **"Yes, I'll do that at once." the Vampire General answered, he then got one of his assistants to sort it out because he had other things to deal with. I just sat at the High Table and tried not to laugh at the whole situation.**

 **"That was nicely handled Arra, the Clan were right when they said that you don't take crap from anybody, that Vampire General looked really embarrassed but it serves him right for daring to question your right to sit here with me," I stated as I tried not to giggle.**

 **"It has been dealt with so I shouldn't get any more problems, my Guard on the other hand is less than helpful. I'll ask for a replacement because I'm not happy with his service, your Guard is much better at doing his job," Arra told me quietly, then she said, "My jug is empty again, they don't fill them up fully so they run out quickly."**

 **"Either that or you're drinking too much Arra," I remarked with a grin, then I added, "It is hot in here so I don't blame you for drinking a lot."**

 **"This meat is dry, I need the wine to wash it all down. They really need to start making sauces to go with the meat, this portion is overcooked and tough. I'm not going to eat boar again, if it isn't tough then it is all fat and no meat. I want a decent meal, is that so difficult to arrange?" Arra asked me as I finished off the last piece of my lamb and wiped my mouth with a cloth that served as a handkerchief.**

 **"Complain to the kitchen if you aren't happy, you can do that you know. You are after all the mate of a Prince now Arra," I suggested, then I remarked, "The kitchen has to provide you with food that you want to eat, they have to give you whatever you ask them for because of who you are. They aren't allowed to deny you anything."**

 **"I'll launch a complaint because I'm not happy with the quality of this food, that's the last time I'll be eating tough, dry and overcooked meat." Arra answered as she stood up and made her way to the kitchen.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 4: Darren's Trials**

 **I was in the Halls of Sport when I heard about the Festival of the Undead, according to what I was told the last vampires who were attending the council had arrived at the mountain, this meant that the Festival of the Undead could now be held. It had come at a good moment because no official business could take place during this festival. As no official business could take place during the Festival of the Undead it meant that anybody who was enduring the Trials of Death would have an additional three nights to rest, this extra three nights of rest didn't include the period of preparation either which was an additional twenty four hours of time, in total any vampire who was taking their Trials during this time would get four nights to rest and train before taking their next Trial.**

 **Darren Shan was taking his Trials during this time, he'd just about scraped through the first two Trials and now he had to take another three. Darren was a friend of mine, I really wanted him to pass his Trials and earn the respect of the Vampire Clan. If Darren managed to pass his Trials then he'd have good standing and it'd make his mentor look good too. Arra had agreed to be Darren's Trial Mentor, seeing as she had taken and passed the Trials of Death three times herself there was very little that she didn't know about them. I watched Darren take his first two Trials, however when he selected the Hall of Flames for his third Trial I couldn't bare to watch it at first because it was just too brutal. I watched Darren training for it, by the end of his training session he was burnt, exhausted and weak. I couldn't imagine how much worse off he'd be after he'd taken the Trial for real. I was nervous for Darren but I didn't let him know that fact because he was nervous enough already.**

 **I hoped and prayed to the Vampire Gods that Darren would pull through and survive the Hall of Flames, he did survive but only just. Darren came out of that Trial burnt, bewildered and confused, he was also exhausted but he was alive and that is what mattered the most. I hadn't watched the Trial itself but Kurda had reported back to me so I knew the outcome of it.**

 **"Thank goodness that Darren pulled through, now he needs time to recover from his burns, will he get enough time to heal before his next Trial?" I asked Kurda, I was worried about Darren.**

 **"Maybe, let me see what I can come up with," Kurda winked, then he said, "I might be able to get Darren some extra time to heal but it won't be easy, however I'll try my best for him."**

 **"Thank you Kurda, you know how much Darren means to me as a friend," I replied, then I added, "I trust you to do the right thing for Darren no matter the cost of it."**

 **"I'll do what I can, the Princes will listen to me Zara, I know that they want Darren to pass his Trials as much as I do," Kurda stated then he added, "If my plan works then Darren will get three additional nights to heal plus his period of preparation, it will be just like the extra time he had during the Festival of the Undead. I will go and speak with the Princes now and put my plan into action." Kurda smiled, then he vanished leaving me alone in our shared quarters. I sat down on a chair and I waited for Kurda to return, I could hear him and the other Princes arguing but I didn't exactly know what they were arguing about.**

 **Eventually Kurda returned to our shared quarters, he was red-faced but he looked happy with himself.**

 **"It worked," Kurda said, then he explained, "Darren has been given extra time to recover because our diaries are full. At least one Prince has to be available to attend the next Trial but we are all really busy and none of us are free, none of us will be free for another three nights so Darren can use this time to heal whilst we clear our diaries and catch up on our work."**

 **"You are a genius Kurda, you are one of the sneakiest, most ingenious vampires I've ever met and the Clan are none the wiser are they?" I asked, grinning.**

 **"No, they haven't got a clue about what has actually taken place, they just think it is unfortunate timing that our diaries are full and Darren has to wait to take his next Trial," Kurda remarked, then he said, "Darren's next Trial is The Blooded Boars, he has to kill two blooded boars in order to pass the Trial."**

 **"That doesn't sound so bad, I hope that Darren knows how to fight and how to dodge. I think he'll be alright as long as he focuses on the task and doesn't get distracted by the crowd," I replied, then I asked, "You'll teach him a few tricks won't you?"**

 **"I'll assist in whatever way I can, I'm not his Trial mentor though so I'm limited on how much involvement I can have." Kurda admitted to me, then I said,**

 **"I know you'll do your best, just make sure that Darren lives, that's all I ask,"**

 **"Darren will survive, I believe in him." Kurda reassured me, then he winked at me.**

 **"I trust you Kurda, I know you'll step in if necessary," I remarked, then I said, "Just don't break too many of our rules."**

 **"I'm not going to be breaking any rules, I may just influence another to intervene on Darren's behalf though if it is necessary to save his life." Kurda revealed to me.**

 **"What are you planning?" I asked, I was curious.**

 **"Nothing that you need to know about, you'll find out when the time is right though. Like I said to you before Zara, whatever happens to me over the coming weeks won't matter in the long run, if I can save the Clan from themselves and a needless war with the Vampaneze then my sacrifice will be worth it," Kurda said cryptically, then he added, "You'll be safe from harm no matter what takes place, I guarentee it."**

 **"Whatever you do please don't do anything stupid Kurda, I love you too much to lose you," I admitted, then I added, "Please promise me that you won't do anything uneccesary."**

 **"I swear to you that I won't do anything unecessary, I won't do anything stupid either. I'll do my best to protect you and Darren because young vampires like you two are the future of this Clan," Kurda told me, then he said, "After my Investiture I'll be able to make this Clan stronger than ever before."**

 **"I believe in you, I know that whatever direction you're following it is the right one for our Clan, together me and you will make this Clan great again, the Vampaneze wouldn't dare to challenge us if we show how strong and united we are as a whole," I told Kurda, then I added, "I don't want to be involved in a battle, I haven't yet been trained how to fight."**

 **"There won't be a battle Zara, I've been working so hard to prevent a war breaking out. There will be no more wars between us and the Vampaneze if I have my way," Kurda reassured me, then he remarked, "Even if there was a battle the mates of Princes are exempt from fighting, they can fight if they choose to but they don't have to if they don't want to."**

 **"I didn't know that, if we don't fight then doesn't it make us look weak?" I asked, I wanted to know.**

 **"In a way it does but then again the Princes fight so that their mates don't have to, it is their duty to protect their mates from harm no matter what, it has always been that way," Kurda revealed, then he said, "I'll die to protect you if I have to, death doesn't bother me one bit because I know that I'll go to Paradise with all the other fallen vampires."**

 **"I'd rather that you stayed here with me Kurda if I'm honest," I admitted, then I asked, "What's Paradise like?"**

 **"It is beyond the stars, it is where the souls of dead vampires go if they have good standing whilst they're alive, vampires of poor standing, traitors, cowards, murderers do not go to Paradise, instead they end up wondering the Earth as a lost soul for eternity, either that or they end up in the Lake of Souls, Mr Tiny makes Little People from the souls of the dead," Kurda explained to me, then he added, "If you want to go to Paradise then you have to live cleanly, do not harm humans, do not kill unless you have to and be noble by protecting those who cannot defend themselves."**

 **"I see, if Darren were to die during his Trials then will he reach Paradise?" I asked, I was curious.**

 **"I don't see why not, I mean it'd be seen as a noble death so I'm sure that the Vampire Gods would look favourably upon him," Kurda remarked, then he added, "Darren won't die during his Trials, he is strong and he is capable, don't fret about him."**

 **"I can't help but worry about Darren, he's so young. He is younger than me and I'm only seventeen, that is very young to be brought into this world," I remarked, then I asked, "I'll be eighteen soon Kurda, do vampires celebrate birthdays?"**

 **"If they want to but vampires don't bother normally because they live for so long," Kurda answered then he added, "I'm really old compared to you Zara."**

 **"How old are you?" I asked out of curiousity.**

 **"You wouldn't believe it even if I told you, I don't look my age that's for sure," Kurda smirked, then he said, "I was born at the end of the eighteenth century if you must know."**

 **"But that'd make you around three hundred years old, that isn't possible, is it?" I queried, I was shocked.**

 **"Vampires only age one year for every ten years that pass, Prince Paris is over seven hundred years old, you will age one year for every five years that pass because you are only half blooded," Kurda explained to me, then he said, "Most of the vampires here are over one hundred years old except for you and Darren."**

 **"I didn't know that, does that mean that I'll also live until I'm over one hundred years old?" I queried, I was surprised to say the least.**

 **"Yes, it means exactly that. If you look after yourself and don't take stupid risks then you'll live for a very long time, we both will," Kurda told me, then he laughed, "We'll age very slowly but we'll be together at least."**

 **"I don't mind aging slowly, it just means that I'll stay beautiful for longer than I normally would, it also means that I won't go all wrinkly either," I replied, then I said, "I hate the idea of having wrinkles."**

 **"I'm too handsome to have wrinkles," Kurda boasted, then he added, "Wrinkles wouldn't suit either of us to be fair."**

 **"You are so modest sometimes Kurda." I giggled, Kurda was very vain but I didn't mind at all.**

 **"I'm just being honest with you," Kurda remarked, then he added, "The night I get a wrinkle will be the night life as I know it ends."**

 **"Kurda, you are so dramatic. You are a big time drama queen and I'm not joking either," I responded, then I said, "I'd be more worried about getting injured or having an infected wound if I were you."**

 **"Good point, I'll try not to get injured," Kurda stated, then he said, "I'm not indestructable but I'm strong enough to withstand a lot of punishment."**

 **"You don't deserve any punishment Kurda," I answered, then I added, "Nobody would be brave enough to punish a soon-to-be Prince anyway."**

 **"That isn't what I meant, I meant that physically I can withstand a lot before it causes me pain," Kurda explained, then he added, "The Vampaneze also have extremely high pain barriers."**

 **"I heard about that and the terrible things that Vampire Generals have to do to them before they'll talk, I don't approve of torture or violence as you know but sometimes there are no other options," I replied, then I said, "I hope that I'll never have to meet a Vampaneze, if I see one I'll kill it."**

 **"They aren't all bad you know, some of them are very similar to us. Certain Vampaneze hate the idea of another war taking place between our Clans and they don't want any more blood to be shed either, I spend a lot of time with them because I've been trying to keep the peace between our two Clans. All I want is for vampires to live alongside the Vampaneze in a peaceful co-existance, is that so bad?" Kurda asked me.**

 **"No, it isn't bad at all. If we could live alongside the Vampaneze without a war breaking out then I'd be happy with that, we don't have to be their best friends but if we could treat each other with respect then that'd be a start," I acknowledged, then I added, "It isn't likely to happen but it is worth a shot."**

 **"When I have been invested as a Vampire Prince things will change around here, I'll ensure that you have everything you need and you'll be by my side during all of the decision making too," Kurda told me, then he added, "I'll make you a Vampire Princess if I have to Zara but you will be a part of this and we'll rule the Clan together as equals."**

 **"Me, a Vampire Princess? Is that even possible?" I asked, I was overwhelmed at the prospect of it.**

 **"It is possible but no vampiress has ever been nominated before, let alone voted in. You'll be the first if I have my way Zara, trust me," Kurda answered me, then he added, "I'll have to get you a tiara."**

 **"That would be amazing, I'd like it if my tiara had blue stones in it so that it would match my dress," I remarked, then I asked, "Is that OK with you?"**

 **"Whatever you want, you can have Zara. I'd never deny you anything," Kurda stated, then he added, "You'll have to wait for it because I will have to have it made for you, you couldn't wear it all the time either, only on special occasions."**

 **"I understand, do the mates of the other Princes have tiaras too?" I enquired.**

 **"Arra has one, I think she has more than one actually but she never wears them, at least I've never seen her wearing a tiara, maybe she feels like she isn't good enough to wear one or something, I'm not sure. As I understand it when Arra was Larten's mate he was on the verge of being invested as a Vampire Prince, however for some reason Larten changed his mind, he gave everything up and quit being a General too. I'm not sure why this happened, all I know is that Larten brought a tiara for Arra that she was meant to wear at his Investiture, seeing as he never got invested she never wore it but she still has it. When their mateship term ended Larten wanted to reinstate it but Arra said no, that's all I know," Kurda revealed to me, then he said, "Arra and Larten are still close but there is nothing physical between them any longer, Arra is with Prince Mika now and as far as I know Larten is currently unattached but that will soon change, he never stays single for long because he is very popular."**

 **"I have heard a few vampiresses talking about him but I don't pay attention to rumours, I'll admit that I think Larten is good looking but I'd never betray you. I don't think he'd want me anyway to be honest, I think that he still has feelings for Arra even after all these years," I said, then I added, "I can see it in Larten's eyes, he looks at Arra in the same way that you look at me."**

 **"We shouldn't get involved in their past, it has nothing to do with us Zara," Kurda told me, then he added, "We have our own business to attend to after all."**

 **"Yes, that's true. I am friends with Arra but I'd never ask her about her past mateships because it is not any of my concern," I acknowledged, then I said, "I am curious though as to what life with Larten is actually like, I wonder if we'd get on together or not. I couldn't imagine sharing his quarters, I've heard that they're decent but they won't be as nice as these ones."**

 **"My quarters are the best that the mountain has to offer, I like to sleep comfortably and stay warm too," Kurda told me, then he said, "I don't know about you Zara but I've got the urge to mate, we haven't mated for a while because I've been busy, I've had to catch up on my sleep instead of staying awake all day and mating with you. I don't think we'll get much if any sleep at all now that Arra is living in the quarters next to ours, she is more vocal than you are when she mates."**

 **"I don't think it matters if me and you are mating at the same time as they are," I answered, then I added, "I mean to say that they won't keep us awake if we're already awake."**

 **"I see your point, I'm just worried about what the other Princes will think because they won't want to be kept awake by us," Kurda stated, then he said, "Mind you I believe that all of the Princes have mates so they'll probably be mating as well, they cannot complain about us if they're doing it too otherwise they'd be hypocrites."**

 **"No, none of the Princes are hypocrites so I think that we'll be OK. We don't need to go over the top of course but if I am a little bit vocal then it'll be because of you, you really do know how to satisfy me Kurda and I have no reason to complain," I admitted, then I asked, "May I kiss you? We haven't kissed each other in so long."**

 **"But of course you may kiss me, you don't need to ask for permission because you are my pledged mate," Kurda answered me, then he said, "One night you'll become my Blessed Mate Zara, then you'll share the throne with me."**

 **"That would be wonderful," I sighed, then I asked, "Is it permitted for the mates of Princes to rule alongside their mates?"**

 **"Only if they are the Blessed Mate of a Prince or if they are a Vampire Princess in their own right, not otherwise," Kurda explained, then he said, "You'll be both of those things Zara so you'll definately share my throne, eventually you'll have one of your own too, I promise you."**

 **"I hope so Kurda, I would love to rule by your side as your equal. We make a great team and we never argue either," I remarked, then I added, "To change from a human with nothing to a Vampire Princess who has everything would be beyond my wildest dreams."**

 **"You are no longer a human my love, you are a vampiress now so that's half of your battle already won, add that to the fact that you're pledged to a Vampire Prince and you can have whatever you want, to be honest I'd say that you're well on your way to earning your own throne," Kurda told me, then he reiterated, "You will be a Vampire Princess Zara, never forget that fact."**

 **"I won't forget, I'm so happy right now that you cannot even comprehend how I'm feeling." I replied, then I kissed Kurda deeply and he kissed me back even deeper than he would normally and it felt amazing. We kissed for a long time and we didn't stop kissing either, when Kurda kissed me I could tell how much he loved me, I felt the same way about him too.**

 **My pledge ring was sparkling in the light from the fire and it really did glisten, the stones in it were like little stars and each stone shined individually. I often gazed at my ring, I couldn't help it either. I still couldn't quite believe how much my life had changed over the past few months, I had never felt more secure in my life and I thought that everything was going well.**

 **Unfortunately just as things were starting to look up for me something went horribly wrong and it threw me directly into the path of danger and death, loss and heartbreak. It all began to go downhill when Darren Shan failed his fourth Trial, technically he didn't fail it because a Little Person named Harkat Moulds had intervened, there were no rules as such for cases like this so the Princes didn't know what to do. The Princes called a meeting and they asked everybody involved what was to be done, I was in the Princes' Dome at the time so I witnessed the whole conversation between Larten, Seba, the Princes and Arra. I didn't get involved, Darren was in his quarters whilst all this was going on. Harkat spoke up and explained his actions, he said that Darren was his friend and that he didn't want Darren to get hurt so he jumped in and killed the boar before it killed Darren. There was a debate going on as to whether Darren would be allowed to re-take the Trial or not, seeing as Darren had known nothing of Harkat's plan to step in and he hadn't planned it either he wasn't exactly to blame. As far as I was aware Darren was innocent, he would have passed the Trial if Harkat hadn't intervened when he did so there was a big debate going on.**

 **Kurda wasn't present during this debate, he'd vanished and nobody knew where he was. It was discovered later on that Darren had also gone missing, he wasn't in his quarters and nobody could find him anywhere. People were searching for him but Darren had vanished, he'd somehow managed to sneak past the Guards and he'd gone outside into the wilderness. I remained in the Princes' Dome, I was oblivious to what was actually about to take place and I had no knowledge of Kurda's plans either, as far as I knew he was in the search party that had gone out looking for Darren. When the search party returned without Darren something didn't seem right, I couldn't put my finger on it but Kurda was acting strangly, he wasn't his normal self.**

 **"Kurda, what's wrong?" I asked, I was worried about him.**

 **"I can't tell you Zara, I promised I'd always protect you. If I told you the truth about what has been going on then you'd become an accessory to it, for your own safety please don't ask me any questions, just know that I did what I did for the good of our Clan and not for personal gain," Kurda replied to me, then he said, "I have to go and attend to some business now." Kurda left and I was even more confused now than what I had been beforehand.**

 **I was worried, I didn't know what was going on and then I found out the awful truth about my pledged mate Kurda Smahlt. Kurda had helped Darren to escape, it turned out that he'd led a large band of Vampaneze into the mountain via his secret network of tunnels, it explained why he was always making maps of the unexplored regions. Kurda had planned to let the Vampaneze into the Princes' Dome, then they would have taken control of the Stone of Blood and Kurda had also planned to murder the other Princes too after his Investiture.**

 **There was a fight down in the tunnels, Darren had discovered Kurda's treachery and he'd come back here to tell the Clan what he'd witnessed. Darren had seen Kurda murder Gavner Purl in cold blood, then he'd found the Vampaneze lair and raised the alarm. The Clan was now preparing for battle against the Vampaneze invaders and I was in shock, I couldn't believe that Kurda would do such a thing but it was proven to be true.**

 **"Zara, you must come with us now, we need to ask you some questions," one of the Guards told me, I went with him willingly. I wanted to co-operate and prove my loyalty to the Clan. My own personal Guard Olaf had been dismissed and I was no longer being referred to as Madam Smahlt either. I had also been ordered to change my clothes so I did, then the Guards took me to a cold room that only had a table and chairs in it plus some torches on the walls.**

 **"Zara, the vampire known as Kurda Smahlt is accused of treachery. If you know anything about his plans or about this then you must tell us now, it'll be better for you if you tell us the truth, telling the truth may save your life," one of the Guards told me, then he said, "Tell me everything you know."**

 **"I'm sorry, Kurda never told me anything about his despicable plans. I am innocent and I swear by the Gods of the Vampires that I will stand on the battlefield and kill every one of those traitorous Vampaneze if I have to," I swore to the two Guards, then I added, "I've heard that the Clan are preparing for battle. Please allow me to prove my loyalty to the Vampire Clan by fighting alongside you all as your equal."**

 **"Are you absolutely certain that you know nothing about Kurda's plans?" One of the Guards asked me.**

 **"The only thing that we really discussed was our future, Kurda told me that one night I'd rule by his side and I'd become a Vampire Princess in my own right, he never mentioned anything about Vampaneze except for the fact that he'd been working hard to bring about a peaceful co-existance between the two Clans, that's all I know, I swear," I reiterated, then I asked, "Am I to be charged with treason too?"**

 **"We haven't found any evidence against you, what you've told us has only confirmed what we already believed. When the battle is over Kurda will be questioned and put on trial, he'll have to explain his actions before the Princes pass their judgement upon him. I should warn you though that he is likely to be sentenced to death for his crimes," one of the Guards warned me, then he advised, "In my opinion you should cut all ties with Kurda Smalht, then you can join your comrades on the battlefield. If you fight well then the Clan will look favourably upon you Zara."**

 **"I understand." I commented, I was still shaking like a leaf.**

 **"Come now, have you ever faught before?" One of the Guards asked me.**

 **"No, I was not trained to fight. I know how to duel upon the Bars, that is all." I admitted.**

 **"That is a start, you'll know how to block attacks in that case. I'll protect you, I'm Olaf's brother you see. You are also very young and we have very few vampiresses in our Clan, I promised Olaf that I wouldn't let anybody harm you. He will be on the battlefield by now, most of the Guards are on the front line. I'll have to join them soon, we both will. I'll show you how to use a sword, the rest is up to you," the Guard said as he drew his sword and the other Guard who was with us gave me his. It was large, heavy and difficult to use at first but it was that or nothing.**

 **When Olaf's brother had shown me how to use the sword I was holding we joined our fellow Clan members on the battlefield. We were fighting down in the tunnels so there wasn't much room, I did my best to join in with the fighting when I could but my inexperience showed and pretty soon I was almost overwhelmed by the enemy. I thought I was about to die, I genuinely did think that these were my last moments on Earth. I clashed my sword against the sword of a Vampaneze and I tried to fight him, his sword connected with my face and sliced it open. I cried out in pain but I knew that I had to fight on, if I was about to die then I wanted to die on my feet like a warrior.**

 **"Argggh!" I cried out as adrenaline started to pulse through my body, something came alive inside me that I hadn't felt before. I felt stronger, I felt like there was an animal within me that was trying to break free. The vampire blood in me had given me a boost just when I needed it the most. I felt much braver now, I was blocking and striking far better than I had been before, I couldn't understand why but I wasn't complaining. I continued to fight, I actually managed to stab a couple of the Vampaneze with my sword and then they fell. I moved away from the wall of the cave that we were in and I found myself standing beside Olaf and his brother, they were both fighting well and Vampaneze were falling down dead or dying because of them. I saw Larten and Seba, they were also in the thick of the fighting and so was Darren. He had a long spear that he was using effectively, I witnessed Arra in a one-on-one fight and then I saw her fall. I screamed when that happened, I saw Arra being carried off on a stretcher and I prayed to the Vampire Gods that her life would be spared. I couldn't think about Arra now, I had to protect myself by continuing to fight until the battle was over.**

 **The battle raged for a long time, I was bleeding badly from my facial wound so I knew I needed treatment and soon. I stabbed a couple of Vampaneze who were lying on the ground injured, I killed them so that they couldn't kill any of my Clan. When they were dead I went to the Medical Wing, the Medical Wing was filled up with casualties from the battle. I sat down and waited to be seen to by one of the Medics, most of them were battling to save Arra. In my heart I knew that she'd gone, however a part of me still held onto the hope that she'd survive despite the deep wound that she had sustained.**

 **"Charna's Guts, you need help and you need it now," one of the Medics said to me as soon as he noticed the gash on my face.**

 **"I need hot water, a cloth, bandages, my box of supplies, a needle, some thread and I need them now!" The Medic called out to his team, they grabbed the items and then they began to work on me. I'd lost a fair amount of blood by this point and I was feeling pretty weak, however I had the will to survive. The Medic cleaned out my wound, then he used his spit to heal as much of it as he could, afterwards he stitched it up before he applied an anti-bacterial herbal paste to the area, he covered that over with a dressing and then he put a bandage on it to hold the dressing in place.**

 **"I've done all I can for you, you're lucky that you didn't lose more blood Zara. I think you'll be alright but you'll be scarred and there's nothing I can do about that I'm afraid," the Medic told me sympathetically, then he remarked, "You'll live and you haven't lost your eye either so it isn't all bad."**

 **"Thank you for attending to me, is it too late for Arra?" I asked, I had tears in my eyes.**

 **"I'm afraid so, we did all we could but her wound was too deep and she had already lost a lot of blood when she was brought in here. We think that she sustained a severed artery, either that or her vital organs were struck when the weapon entered her body," the Medic told me, then he said, "I'm sorry for your loss, I tried my best to save her."**

 **"I understand, Arra died on her feet. She'll be remembered as the warrior she was, may glory shine upon her name and may her soul rest easy in Paradise now, even in death may you be triumphant Arra Sails," I said quietly to the Medic, then I added, "May the Vampire Gods watch over my Clan tonight and protect my friends from harm."**

 **"Even in death may you be triumphant Arra Sails." the Medic answered, then he and I both performed the death's touch symbol. After that the Medic went back to his work, he had no shortage of injured vampires to deal with. A few were too badly wounded but most had minor injuries, I had one of the more severe injuries but at least I was alive. I was glad to be alive too, now that I was patched up I decided to return to the battle. I was still able to fight but I didn't need to, by the time I got to the site of the battle it was all over and the Vampaneze had been defeated. The Vampire Clan had paid for their "victory" with many lives, it wasn't really a victory. It was a pointless and needless battle that had happened because of the traitor Kurda Smahlt, I hated his guts. Kurda had murdered one of my best friends namely Gavner Purl in cold blood, as if that wasn't bad enough the battle had claimed the life of my other close friend Arra Sails. I was very sad, I couldn't stop crying. I cried because two of my friends were dead, I cried because my own Pledged Mate was a traitor, he was responsible for the deaths of my two friends and I wanted nothing more to do with him...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 5: The Trial of Kurda Smahlt**

 **After the battle had concluded I went to my quarters, I was very emotional and that was understandable. My face was hurting me too, I just hoped that the scar wouldn't be too prominent but at least I'd done my duty. Nobody could doubt my loyalty to the Vampire Clan, after all they'd seen me fighting alongside them and I had killed at least two of the Vampaneze.**

 **I sat in my quarters for ages, I got changed out of my bloodstained clothing and I put some fresh clothes on. I was no longer the mate of a soon-to-be Prince, instead I was the former Pledged Mate of a traitor. I wore black because I was in mourning for my two friends, I was also mourning for the other fallen Clan members, they'd given their lives and they deserved to be honoured. I wore black out of respect for them and their sacrifice. There was a knock on the door of my quarters, I got up to answer it. It was Larten and he looked as broken as I was.**

 **"Larten, I don't know what to say to you. Nothing I say will make our pain go away but I'm sorry for your losses," I said, then I added, "You can come in if you wish." Larten came into my quarters and he sat down at my table, I only had very basic quarters now but they were warm at least.**

 **"Zara, you and I have both lost two of our closest companions. I feel like a huge part of my soul has been ripped out because Gavner was the closest thing I had to a brother. Losing Arra as well as Gavner has hurt me far more than you can contemplate Zara. I wanted to tell you that I understand your pain, we need to support each other whilst we come to terms with everything that has taken place. You know where my quarters are if you need somebody to talk to Zara. I came here to tell you that the trial of Kurda is taking place tonight, will you be attending it?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I have to give evidence against him like Darren will have to, I need to make sure that the Clan knows I'm innocent. I have done nothing wrong Larten, I swear to you that I'm no traitor," I told Larten, then I asked, "You do believe me don't you?"**

 **"I know that you are innocent Zara, I can see it in your eyes. I saw you fighting too, you were not too bad for a young vampiress. You showed no fear, I admire that," Larten remarked, then he said, "I will teach you how to use a sword properly and I will provide you with one that is your size. The one you carried in that battle was far too big for you."**

 **"Thank you, I appreciate that. I have no mentor now that Kurda has been declared a traitor, I've got no mate to protect me either and my two closest friends are now resting in Paradise. You will look out for me won't you?" I asked Larten directly.**

 **"I will not let anything bad happen to you, you have been through enough pain already," Larten answered, then he added, "I cannot be your mentor because I already have Darren, however I will ask Seba if he will take you on as his new assistant."**

 **"That would be good, Seba is wise and he is also very well respected. I'm sure that he will be able to teach me the ways of the Clan, Kurda didn't really teach me anything at all," I replied, then I said, "Kurda deserves to die for his crimes."**

 **"Yes, I agree with you. Kurda deserves the death penalty but it is up to the Princes to decide his fate, not us," Larten reminded me, then he remarked, "The Trial will be starting soon, we should leave now if we are to arrive in time to attend it."**

 **"Yes, I agree. I have to give evidence so I need to be there. I have to be ready to say my piece," I stated, then I said, "I will not defend anything that Kurda has done, I hate him so much. I'd kill him myself if it were permitted."**

 **"Most of the Clan feel that way too Zara, the Princes will give us justice and then Kurda Smahlt will be executed," Larten told me, then he added, "He will be placed in a cage and dropped onto a pit of stakes until he is dead."**

 **"Even that is too good for him Larten." I replied as we headed to the hall where the trial would be taking place. We sat next to each other, we were both dressed in black. Many of the Clan were dressed in black and the Princes were wearing black robes now too. Kurda was brought into the hall, he was a mere shadow of his former self. His clothing was ripped, he was bleeding and he was in chains. Kurda was also crying, he looked nothing like the vampire I had known either.**

 **The Princes sat on their thrones and then the trial began. The Princes questioned Kurda, they wanted to know his motives as to why he'd betrayed us all. I sat in silence and I listened to what Kurda had to say, he tried to say that what he'd done was for the good of the Clan. Kurda also explained that Des Tiny's prophecy would now come to pass and that a futile war with the Vampaneze was on the cards. Finally Kurda announced that his one major regret was killing Gavner Purl, he was crying as he said this and I almost felt sorry for him, then I remembered Arra and all thoughts of sympathy for Kurda vanished from my head.**

 **"Kurda Smahlt, whatever your reasons you betrayed us but as a Prince I have no choice, only a responsibility to uphold and for that you must die," Prince Paris announced to the assembled vampires who were at the Trial, then he said, "I vote that he be taken from this place to the Hall of Death and summarily executed, then his body shall be dismembered and burnt so that his soul will never reach Paradise."**

 **"I agree, execution and a dishonourable cremation," Prince Mika stated, then he said, "That's what you get for being a murdering traitor Kurda Smahlt, my mate is dead because of your actions."**

 **"Kurda, do you have any last words?" Prince Paris asked Kurda, he was looking down at his feet.**

 **"I wish that in the long and painful nights ahead you'll remember the sacrifice I made and that I did what I did for the good of our Clan. If it is possible I'd also like for my two fallen assistants and my thirty eight comrades to be honoured after their deaths. I'd also like to make it clear that my former Pledged Mate Zara is completely innocent, at no point did I involve her with any of my plans and she knew nothing about any of this until now. Even in death may you all be triumphant." Kurda concluded sadly, then he snapped the chains around his wrists and made the death's touch sign to us all.**

 **"Will anybody speak up for this traitor?" Prince Paris asked, then whole room was silent.**

 **"I am not going to speak up for you Kurda, because of your actions two of my closest friends are dead. You deserve to die for your crimes, I hereby cut all ties with you. I hate you Kurda Smahlt, I hope that you'll never know Paradise and that you'll end up in the Lake of Souls for eternity." I stated, after I had said my piece Kurda was stripped until he only had his shorts on, the Princes marked him with snake's blood as that was the sign of a traitor or a vampire with poor standing, Kurda was led away to the Hall of Death. I went with him because I wanted to see him die. Kurda stood weeping, he had lost everything. All he could do was pray to the Vampire Gods whilst the Generals prepared the cage. Kurda looked at me, I didn't look at him to start with but then I changed my mind. I saw a broken vampire before me, he was a traitor but he had also been my lover and a part of him would always be inside me.**

 **"May I please tell Zara something?" Kurda asked Prince Paris.**

 **"If it is quick then yes, you may." Prince Paris replied. I walked over to where Kurda was standing, Kurda cupped my face in his hands and then he whispered in my ear.**

 **"Zara, I'm sorry for everything I've done. When you look up at the night sky search for the two brightest stars, those two stars represent my eyes. I'll be watching over you, I love you more than my own life Zara, please forgive me."**

 **"Kurda, your actions were despicable and I meant what I said at the end of your trial. I will however forgive you, after all there is no harm in showing a little compassion. I'll remember the good times we shared together and I will miss you, however as a loyal Clan member I agree with the Princes' verdict. I hope that your end will be quick, that's me showing you mercy even though you deserve none at all." I replied to Kurda, he was still crying and so was I.**

 **"Kurda, it is time." Prince Paris remarked.**

 **"Yes Sire, I know it is time for me to die. Please take care of Zara Sire, she has been through so much already. Even in death may you be triumphant Zara, my talisman is yours now as I have no need of it where I'm going." Kurda remarked as he started to walk towards the cage.**

 **"Even in death may you be triumphant Kurda," I repeated before I made the death's touch symbol, then I requested, "May we share one last moment together Sire? It would help me to come to terms with this whole situation."**

 **"Very well but make it quick, I have already postponed the execution by ten minutes as it is." Prince Paris remarked. Kurda turned around and we walked towards each other, we held each other tightly and our tears wouldn't stop flowing either. Kurda kissed me and I kissed him back. It was the last time that I'd ever get to feel Kurda's soft, plush lips on mine. Despite everything that Kurda had put me through I still loved him. I wouldn't forget this final kiss between us either, brief though it was.**

 **"Please don't shed any more tears for me, my last wish is for you to be happy. I have put measures in place so that you will be safe and nothing bad will happen to you. Now I must depart this life, in doing so I will pay for my crimes. I just pray that the Vampire Gods will be merciful when they pass their judgement upon me." Kurda replied, then he wiped away the tears from my eyes and he stepped into the waiting cage. I watched as Kurda took one last look at this cruel, mixed up world and then he fell...that was the end of the traitor and my former Pledged Mate Kurda Smahlt.**

 **After Kurda had been executed he was dismembered and cremated. I went to find Larten and I was still crying, I couldn't help it either. I missed Arra and Gavner, I could still hear Gavner's laugh in my head and I could hear Arra's voice too if I l thought hard enough about her. I found Larten, he was alone in his quarters. He let me in and we talked for ages, we were both very mixed up and confused, we were hurting and we had both been through a lot. I stayed with Larten, I lost track of time and I ended up sleeping in his quarters. We had to share the coffin because there was only one available, we went top to tail so my head was by Larten's feet and we were facing away from each other. We didn't want anybody to think that there was any inappropriate physical contact taking place between us. We were both mourning, it would have been looked down upon if we had done anything of that nature so soon after losing our close friends. When I woke up in Larten's coffin I was confused as to where I was at first, I hadn't slept at all well either which didn't help matters. I didn't think that Larten had slept well either, he'd been tossing and turning all day and that had kept me awake.**

 **"Are you OK?" I asked after Larten had woken up.**

 **"I did not sleep well, neither did you. I should have held you in my arms but I did not think that it was appropriate," Larten told me, then he said, "When I do hold somebody close to me it helps them to sleep better."**

 **"I wouldn't have minded if you'd held me close to you, I was just being respectful. We don't know each other very well yet, if anything were to develop between us then it'll have to be after we've observed a suitable period of mourning." I replied.**

 **"I agree, however will you permit me to persue you? Larten asked me directly.**

 **"Persue me? I'm not going to run away from you." I laughed.**

 **"That is not what I meant, I mean to persue you and therefore persuade you to mate with me when the time is right." Larten revealed to me.**

 **"How would you persue me exactly?" I asked.**

 **"I would accompany you to places, I would invite you to join me on hunting trips, I would duel against you on the Bars, I would also give you gifts like this one." Larten explained to me, then he removed the chain that he had around his neck and he put it on my neck. The chain had a pendant on it, the pendant was a swirly looking symbol.**

 **"Thank you," I replied automatically, then I asked, "What is it?"**

 **"It is my talisman, I chose a spider web to represent me and now it is yours, there is no need for you to wear that snake talisman any longer." Larten replied as he removed the snake talisman from around my neck and handed it to me. After Larten had given me his talisman we tried to go back to sleep again, only this time Larten held me close to him. I hadn't been held in a while so it felt nice to be in somebody's arms again, nothing physical took place between us we just slept, we hadn't had much sleep recently due to the events that had taken place.**

 **A few hours later I woke up again, this time however I felt better and my face wasn't hurting me so much. It would still take a little while to heal but it was on the mend, I just hoped that it wouldn't get infected. I had to go to the Medical Wing and get the dressing changed on it every night, the old dressings were burnt to minimise the spread of germs. The Vampire Clan didn't have much in the way of medical supplies, however I passed on my knowledge of modern medicine to the Medics and it paid off, the Medics would now soak their instruments in boiling water before they were used, they burnt anything that was bloodstained and they started using disposable bandages instead of re-usable ones. These simple acts really helped to limit the amount of vampires who died from infected wounds, before I came along many vampires had died who would have otherwise survived if their wounds had been tended to properly.**

 **The swelling on my face had gone down, the stitches were removed and then I looked in a mirror. I had a diagonal scar that went from my eyebrow to just above my lips, it wasn't as bad as I first thought. The wound still hurt me, although the wound itself was closed the flesh underneath the skin was still repairing itself. It'd take a few days but at least I had my eyes and my teeth intact, others weren't so lucky in that respect. A lot of other vampires had facial scars so I really didn't look any different to them now, my scar also meant that I had faught for the Clan and I had proven myself to them. I wasn't sure if I had good standing or not but I was trying to earn it.**

 **I went to the Halls of Sport, I hadn't been in there since before the battle and I looked up at the Bars. All of the Bars had black material tied to them and on the wall above the Bars was Arra's staff, it had been mounted on the wall as some kind of memorial to her. There were also some bunches of flowers that had been left underneath the Bars, I laid my own wreath down too out of respect for my fallen friend. I stood there in silence for a while and I looked back on happier times, I remembered the first time that we'd met, I remembered when I promised Arra that I'd duel her after I'd been trained, I remembered defeating Gavner and then her, I also remembered Arra's wise words about being gracious in defeat and humble in victory. Arra was not only my friend, she was the closest thing I'd ever had to an older sister. I missed Arra badly and I hoped that she was at peace now. By killing the Vampaneze who'd killed Arra, her death had been avenged. I wasn't sure who had killed the Vampaneze that was responsible for Arra's demise, however this bastard wouldn't be able to kill again and that was the main thing.**

 **I had been dreaming about Kurda, I saw him in my dreams looking lost and sad. It was eerie and quite often I'd wake up trembling, sometimes I'd murmur in my sleep too. I knew this to be the case because I had been told about it. I hadn't slept well in a long time, if I wasn't dreaming about Kurda I'd be dreaming about the battle. I'd see myself fighting and being surrounded by Vampaneze, then I'd see myself falling into the darkness before waking up in a cold sweat. I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, unfortunately there were no mental health facilities available for vampires. I didn't know what to do, I didn't feel like doing much either. I lost my appetite and I hadn't fed in over a week, I was really suffering and nobody was there for me except for Seba and Larten. Seba had kindly agreed to take me on as his new assistant, I would spend my evenings with him organising storerooms and blocking up the tunnels that we didn't need. After the Vampaneze had invaded we'd stepped up our security measures, all of the unecessary entrances were blocked, the amount of Guards increased and the Princes hardly ever left their Dome now. I had lessons with Darren, it was easier to teach us at the same time. When we were taught hand-to-hand combat techniques we were ideal sparring partners for each other so it worked out quite nicely.**

 **Darren was also preparing for his Investiture, he had been proclaimed a Vampire Prince because of his actions and now he had to go through the Investiture Ceremony. When I first found out about it I didn't believe it, none of the Clan would believe it until the Vampire Princes publicly proclaimed Darren Shan to be a Vampire Prince, he exchanged his blood with the Princes and the Stone of Blood, he wore blue robes that were too big for him by half and then he was given his very own throne. Larten was beyond proud of his assistant but he kept his composure, secretly though we all wanted to celebrate this very special occasion and that's exactly what we did.**

 **We got absolutely smashed, there was more wine and ale handed out than I'd ever seen being brought up from the cellars before. I was also celebrating my eighteenth birthday so I drunk more wine than I should have but I didn't care. It takes a lot of alcohol to get a vampire drunk, there was plenty of it on offer though. A few hours into the celebrations some of the Vampire Generals were singing loudly about some famous battle they'd been in, it was fine until a brawl broke out between them. Eventually they were all ejected from the hall for rowdy behaviour. The Princes had managed to keep some order, however they'd been drinking too so they weren't giving out very many orders, the only orders they were giving out were orders for more ale!**

 **I eventually got back to my quarters, I was very tipsy but I could just about walk. Larten followed me to my quarters, I let him in and he sat down. I sat down too, I had a large mug of water with me which I drank from. I was hoping that I wouldn't be too hungover, I didn't like the idea of being hungover. Larten had consumed far more alcohol than I had, he was almost paralytic but the vampire blood in his veins helped to sober him up.**

 **"That was one hell of a celebration," I said, my speech was slightly slurred, then I added, "I've never seen you drink that much before either Larten."**

 **"I was celebrating because of Darren and his elevation to Vampire Prince, however I was also drowning my sorrows so to speak," Larten admitted, then he asked, "Can I stay with you in here? My quarters are quite some distance away."**

 **"Yes, you may stay in here and sober up a bit," I giggled, then I added, "You are such a rebel sometimes. I didn't know if you knew how to have fun or not, you're always so serious and grumpy."**

 **"I am not grumpy, I am focused and I take important matters seriously. I know how to have fun when it is the appropriate time for fun, I am not spontanious in the way that you appear to be," Larten remarked, then he said, "I enjoy spending time with you Zara, we get along well and you pay attention to me when I give you lessons which I appreciate."**

 **"I want to learn how to be a vampire of good standing, I've had my first taste of battle and I've got a scar to show for it, all I have to do now is take my Trials," I replied, then I added, "I've been thinking about your offer Larten, at first I wasn't sure about you and I pairing up together. I didn't think we'd suit each other, however whenever I'm with you it feels right. I'm not saying that we should agree to a set mateship term straight away, however we can give it a shot and see how it works out for us."**

 **"I would like that, you are wearing my talisman after all. Shall we agree to a term of three months as a starting point? That will give us long enough to test the waters so to speak," Larten asked me, then he said, "If we get along together than we can extend our term, if it does not work out then at least we can say that we gave it a go."**

 **"Alright, that sounds fair. I'll share my life with you for three months," I acknowledged, then I asked, "What exactly happens now?"**

 **"We will work on forming a bond with each other by spending time together, we will sometimes eat together in the Hall of Khledon Lurt, we will turn to one another if we need somebody to talk to and we will also spar against each other." Larten told me.**

 **"What about the physical aspects?" I queried.**

 **"When we are alone together we will work on the physical side of our bond, I am not one to show my feelings, affection or emotions in public. I keep all of that private, do not expect me to kiss you or anything in public either, that is just not who I am. Kurda was far more affectionate towards you in public than I will be, it does not mean that I do not have any feelings for you, it just makes me feel uncomfortable if I have to display those feelings for you in public," Larten told me sternly, then he added, "When we are alone in our quarters I will not be like that, I will be loving and affectionate towards you and I will hold you in my arms when we sleep next to each other."**

 **"What about the actual act of mating?" I enquired.**

 **"When it comes to mating I will be a far better lover than Kurda was, I will do things to you that will make you see stars and then you will feel as though you are flying," Larten remarked, then he added, "I will not leave you wanting either, you will beg me for more and I will oblige."**

 **"That sounds wonderful, I'll look forward to experiencing that very much," I confirmed, then I asked, "May I kiss you Larten?"**

 **"You do not have to ask me for consent, just follow your instincts and do whatever you feel comfortable with," Larten remarked, then he asked, "If it is less awkward for you then perhaps I should kiss you first?"**

 **"I would prefer it if you made the first move, I'm a bit nervous because I've only ever been with Kurda. I gave him my purity Larten, that is why we were so close. We were pledged to each other after all," I responded, then I added, "I should take my pledge ring off, I'm still wearing it."**

 **"I will replace that ring if ever I deem it to be the right decision, however I am not going to promise anything," Larten answered, then he said, "I have been pledged to a previous mate before but it did not work out."**

 **"I understand." I said, then I went over to where Larten was sitting and he stood up, I got into my coffin and Larten joined me inside it, we sat up in it and we were facing one another. I inched my head closer and then I felt Larten's lips brush against mine as my lips met his for the first time. I was so nervous I was trembling slightly, I reached out to him and he went palm to palm with me before he slowly and carefully deepened his kiss. I plucked up the courage and used my tongue a little bit, I knew what to do I just hadn't kissed anybody other than Kurda, Larten's kiss was so much more passionate than Kurda's so when he began to use his tongue too I could really feel it. I let my instincts kick in but I let Larten lead, it felt really good. I had no idea that a kiss could be like this, when we broke apart from each other my head felt like it was spinning.**

 **"Wow, that was an experience I'll never forget Larten," I said when I could speak again, then I added, "I enjoyed that a lot, I'm buzzing actually."**

 **"It was a pleasurable experience for me too and I could feel you trembling. I tried to take it slowly so that I would not overwhelm you, I can be quite intense at times," Larten told me, then he stated, "You just need to relax, I will never hurt you and you have nothing to fear from me."**

 **"I'll try my best, it is just hard to let you touch me because I feel like I'm being unfaithful, I know that I'm not actually doing anything wrong but it is in the back of my mind." I admitted.**

 **"I understand, we do not need to rush things. We can take it slowly; we should not mate with each other until you feel comfortable with it," Larten remarked, then he added, "It is not in my nature to be forceful or dominating."**

 **"I really miss Kurda, however I know that he was a traitor and he did deserve to die," I admitted, then I confessed, "I miss running my fingers through Kurda's long, blonde hair, I miss his voice too, I miss how Kurda would scoop me up into his arms and kiss me whether we were in public or not, I miss sitting on his lap and I miss the luxury quarters that we shared together. I also miss having my Guard with me and I miss being able to eat at the High Table, I had a really happy life until Kurda's stupidity ruined it for me. He promised me that we'd rule the Clan together, he also promised me that I would become a Vampire Princess in my own right."**

 **"Maybe one night you will become the first ever Vampire Princess, there is nothing to stop you from achieving that Zara. I cannot ever replace Kurda, however I do know that he genuinely loved you," Larten told me, then he revealed, "Kurda asked me to look after you if anything bad happened to him, I think he knew what was going to happen and he tried to put measures in place that would keep you safe. That was the only sensible thing that Kurda did, all of his other plans to seize control of the Stone of Blood and murder the other Princes were downright idiotic and treacherous. These rediculous ideas cost Kurda his life and the lives of several others, for that alone I can never, ever forgive him. His actions led to both of us losing two of our closest friends and that is unforgivable in my eyes Zara."**

 **"I agree, Kurda was a fool to think that he could actually pull off his plan. If not for Prince Darren's chance discovery Kurda may very well have gotten away with it too, we are very lucky that Prince Darren raised the alarm and prevented Kurda's plans from happening," I acknowledged, then I remarked, "Prince Darren is a credit to you Larten, you should hold your head high and be proud of everything that he has acomplished."**

 **"I am proud of him, I just do not like to express my emotions in public." Larten countered.**

 **"That's fair enough, I am the opposite to you but out of respect for you I will not expect you to show me any affection in public, I know that you don't like doing it. I will wait until we're alone before I show you any affection, I prefer kissing in private anyway, especially when it is a meaningful kiss like that one was," I accepted, then I added, "I could feel your emotions in that kiss Larten, I know how much you like me."**

 **"I have liked you for a while but I did not have the guts to tell you until now, this is not the ale talking either. I did not wish to upset Arra by making my feelings for you known to her, seeing as you and her were friends it could have made the situation awkward for you. I wished to prevent a fight from taking place between you and her, I kept my feelings to myself until the right time to reveal them to you became apparent," Larten explained to me, then he admitted, "I came to your quarters tonight to tell you how I feel about you Zara."**

 **"I'm glad that you've told me how you feel, I've got strong feelings for you too. I wanted to tell you so many times, however I couldn't risk jeopardising my friendship with Arra, I wasn't sure if you felt the same way about me and out of respect for Kurda I had to remain faithful to him." I answered.**

 **"How strong are your feelings?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I am beginning to feel more than just admiration and respect for you, when you kissed me it was like nothing I'd ever experienced before and it made my head spin Larten." I admitted.**

 **"I can do far more than that, I can kiss you again if you want, only this time I will not hold back," Larten offered, then he added, "I can make you scream, you will not have experienced anything like that before."**

 **"Kurda made me cry out his name a couple of times but that is it, most of the time we would kiss a lot so I couldn't make as much noise as I wanted to but he was a pretty good lover, I'll give him his dues," I remarked, then I said, "I had to keep the noise levels down because the other Princes were trying to sleep. It wouldn't have been fair on them if Kurda and myself had kept them awake with our sexual activities."**

 **"That was considerate of you, not every couple thinks like that. In fact some couples go head-to-head to see who can make their mate cry out the loudest, it is not something that I would partake in. I like to keep my personal life private, what I do in my quarters stays in my quarters. I do not mate if I know that others are in the vacinity, I have never deemed it to be appropriate." Larten told me firmly.**

 **"I will respect your wishes, I won't tell anybody that we're mates if you don't want me to." I confirmed.**

 **"I will inform those who need to know, it has nothing to do with anybody else and I would like it to stay that way Zara," Larten reiterated, then he said, "If any of the Clan ask questions about us we will tell them that we are supporting each other and that we are good friends, nothing more."**

 **"OK, that's fine by me." I nodded in agreement.**

 **"If we decide that after our three month trial term is over we wish to make a new, longer agreement then that is the time for us to notify the Clan about us," Larten told me, then he added, "If we do mate again after our initial three month term is over then I may decide to show you a small amount of public attention. I have not yet decided how I will do this yet, it could be something simple like sitting next to you, maybe I shall hold your hand under the table or other little things like that."**

 **"Nothing too obvious but just enough for me to know that you are thinking of me, I'd like that Larten." I acknowledged approvingly.**

 **"Maybe we could drink from the same mug, that is a sign amongst vampires which represents trust. There are lots of little things I can do to show you affection or attention, these things do not involve me actually having to show you physical affection, it is the physical affection in public that I find awkward to do, everything else is alright," Larten informed me, then he asked, "I will not ignore you and nor will I be cold towards you but neither will I tell you that I love you, do you understand?"**

 **"Yes, I understand. What if I want to show you affection? How do I do that?" I enquired, I was curious.**

 **"It is up to you, how did you show affection towards Kurda?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I would walk up to him, he'd take my hands in his and then he'd kiss me, either that or he'd hold me in his arms and then I'd whisper in his ear how much I loved him." I sighed, then a couple of silent tears rolled down my cheeks.**

 **"I did not mean to upset you, I know how difficult this whole situation must be for you." Larten told me, then he handed me his handkerchief which was sweet of him to do. I wiped my eyes but the tears continued to flow, I really had been genuinely in love with Kurda.**

 **"It is alright, I just miss him so much Larten. I still don't understand why he'd throw his life away, murder his close friend Gavner in cold blood, make a deal with the Vampaneze and cause a battle which resulted in even more death, it just doesn't make sense." I replied.**

 **"Maybe he was mad or power hungry, we will never know. All we can do is mourn for the loss of our friends and pray to the Vampire Gods that they made it safely to Paradise," Larten told me, then he added, "We will reunite with them eventually Zara."**

 **"I know but that doesn't stop me from missing those who we've lost, I'll never see Kurda again because he had a dishonourable cremation, he is either in the Lake of Souls or he will be bound to wonder the Earth forever. I dream about him often, I see his ghostly form in my dreams. Kurda looks broken, hollow and sad in my dreams, it is as though he's not complete," I revealed to Larten, then I said, "I'm sure that his ghost haunts these quarters, things get moved around when I'm not in here, the flames on the torches flicker eventhough there is no wind and when I lie down and I can feel him lying next to me, it is very weird Larten."**

 **"I do not really believe in ghosts but I do believe in lost souls, maybe Kurda is trying to let you know that he is still with you in a way so that you will not miss him so much, he was a traitor but a part of him is still inside of you. After all Zara you have his blood in your veins, also when you mated with him your two bodies became one body," Larten stated, then he remarked, "Kurda is a part of you, you cannot miss him because he has not really left you. You cannot see him but you can still feel his strength and his love for you inside yourself. I have a part of Arra inside of me as well, for her blood is flowing through my veins."**

 **"I understand Larten, it makes a lot of sense to me actually. I do not however like the idea of having the blood of a traitor in my veins, the Clan may judge me for it even though I have been proven innocent," I reiterated, then I enquired, "No matter what I'll always have traitor blood in me, is there nothing that can be done about it?"**

 **"I am afraid not, vampirism is for life. The only thing to note is that vampire blood remains exactly the same no matter who you get it from, unlike human blood vampiric blood does not contain any DNA. You have the same vampire blood in your veins as I do, as a result of that you cannot possibly have traitors' blood in your body otherwise I too would be a traitor." Larten told me.**

 **"Is that really true? Don't I even have a tiny bit of Kurda's human blood in me?" I asked, I was really curious.**

 **"No, Kurda was fully blooded which means that there was no human blood left in his body, just universal vampire blood. You are closer to a wolf than anything else, vampires and wolves are blood cousins, that is why they like us." Larten reassured me.**

 **"I am glad about that, I just wish that I wasn't tainted by association. I have to live with and accept the fact that I was pledged to a traitor, a traitor who nearly destroyed our Clan and everything that we stand for," I sighed, then I added, "At least we have got each other, eventually some happiness might rise from the ashes of this tragedy."**

 **"Maybe that will be the case, I cannot say for sure." Larten answered.**

 **"Just out of interest if we are to become mates do I not need to ask my mentor's permission first?" I asked.**

 **"You should ask Seba for his consent, I cannot see why he would not give you and I his blessing so to speak, I am his former assistant after all Zara," Larten answered me, then he remarked, "Seba is in the Hall of Khledon Lurt, you can go and ask him for permission. I will come with you if you wish for me to be present when you ask him, Seba may want to speak with me about it."**

 **"I'll go down there and ask him, I'm sure he'll want to give me a list of chores to do anyway. Seba is always giving me things to do, I sometimes think that he likes to watch me working." I revealed to Larten as I stood up, I had been sitting in my coffin with him for a while.**

 **"Seba treated me exactly the same, just be grateful that he does not pluck hairs from your nose. Seba used to pluck hairs from my ears too." Larten told me.**

 **"Why was that? Were you naughty?" I asked.**

 **No, it was not due to my behaviour. Seba used to do that to me if I did not speak properly. I was not allowed to use abbreviated words, I always had to say words like do not or did not for example instead of the shortened versions of those words."**

 **"I didn't know that but I understand what you mean. You couldn't use conjunctions but I can and I do," I laughed, then I added, "I'm lucky that Seba hasn't picked up on it yet."**

 **"He will do, trust me. Let us go now and converse with him," Larten remarked, then he asked, "I could kiss you again before we leave here, would you like me to?"**

 **"I don't mind if you kiss me as long as it feels good Larten."**

 **"It will always feel good, believe me." Larten replied, then he led me over to the armchair by the fire, he sat down on it and he motioned for me to sit on his lap. I positioned myself comfortably on Larten's lap and I turned to face him, our heads were just inches apart at this point. I moved my head closer this time, I wanted to kiss Larten rather than him kissing me, it was about even to be fair. I felt my lips make contact with Larten, I closed my eyes and I put one of my hands on his neck, I was feeling a bit more confident than I had been previously and I was no longer trembling either. I bravely began to use my tongue a little bit, I was trying to tell Larten how I felt about him. I could feel Larten's hands starting to wonder a little bit, I didn't mind that and I moaned softly into his mouth when he touched my exposed skin. This was more than a kiss, this was making out and I loved it. I could feel our kiss deepening now, it was the best kiss I'd ever had and my whole body felt like it had electric shooting through it. Our kiss lasted for quite a while, eventually I pulled away and I broke it off because I was getting too turned on by it, I had to control my urges after all.**

 **"That was an experience that I'll never forget, it felt amazing Larten, you really are skilled." I complimented Larten when I had got my breath back.**

 **"I enjoyed it too, I feel your innocence but I can also feel your passion. I know that you want to mate with me Zara. I can read all of your body language. Even though you may not realise it you were definately letting me know that you wanted more, I touched your skin just to be sure and your reaction to that told me all I needed to know." Larten told me, I had no idea that he could read me like that.**

 **"Yes, it is true. I was very turned on and I am still turned on. Being around you is intoxicating, you're like a drug and the more you give me, the more my body craves you." I confessed, I was a little bit embarrassed and I was blushing hideously.**

 **"I am already aware of that fact, I will give myself to you but not yet. I want to wait a little while out of respect, we are still in mourning for our fallen friends," Larten stated, then he said, "That does not mean that we cannot share occasional moments of affection."**

 **"We really should go and speak with Seba now, we've been in here for ages. The Clan will get suspicious if they cannot find either of us," I reminded Larten, then I added, "If anybody asks you can just say that you were giving me a lesson about the history of the Clan."**

 **"That is a possible explanation, however I do not like to deceive my comrades. It is better to say that I was helping you to come to terms with the loss of your friend, that is more accurate."**

 **"That is reasonable." I agreed as we entered the Hall of Khledon Lurt and met up with Seba.**

 **"Can I speak to you alone please?" I asked Seba when I had located him.**

 **"I am your mentor, of course you may speak with me alone. Is there something I can help you with?" Seba enquired as he led me to a quiet place.**

 **"Actually, it is not your help that I need. I would very much like your consent to do something, it is only right that I should ask you first, after all you are my mentor." I revealed to Seba when we were on our own.**

 **"What do you wish to do?" Seba asked me, his eyebrows were raised as if he already knew what I was going to say.**

 **"I would like your consent to enter into a mateship agreement, I wish to heal the emotional wounds that Kurda left me with by taking a new mate." I explained to Seba carefully.**

 **"I have no objections to you entering into a mateship agreement, affairs of your heart are no concern of mine, that is your personal business. I would however like to know who you are hoping to mate with," Seba told me, then he added, "If it is who I suspect it is then I will wish you both all the best, you have both been through so much."**

 **"Who do you suspect it is?" I asked, smiling innocently.**

 **"I think that you wish to mate with young Prince Darren, he and you would make a wonderful couple in my eyes." Seba remarked.**

 **"Actually, it is not Prince Darren although I did consider him for a while." I admitted.**

 **"There is only one other vampire that I can think of who you would consider mating with," Seba replied slowly, then he asked, "Do you wish to mate with my former assistant Larten?"**

 **"Yes, Larten and I are very close. We were brought together by our grief, after all both of us have lost two very close friends of ours. Maybe some happiness will spring from our sorrow, do I have your consent Seba?" I asked, I hoped that the answer would be yes.**

 **"I have no objections, if Larten makes you happy and if you in turn make him happy then why should I take that from you? You have already lost so much as it is, you have my consent to mate with each other and I give it to you willingly." Seba answered, at that moment I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.**

 **"Thank you for granting me your consent, it means a lot to me." I told Seba.**

 **"You are welcome, Larten is in the Hall of Khledon Lurt. He is waiting there for you. I have some business to attend to Zara, however I will see you later because I need you to assist me wih something." Seba told me.**

 **"I'll assist you with whatever you need help with, that is what I'm here for after all." I acknowledged, then Seba took me to where Larten was waiting for me. I was feeling rather emotional but they were good emotions.**

 **"Larten, I have spoken with Zara and she has explained the situation to me. I just want to wish you both all the best, I hope that your term will be a successful one." Seba told Larten.**

 **"Likewise, I also hope that our union will help to heal the pain that we have been feeling. I will do my best to make your assistant happy and you know that I will never hurt her, I will guard her with my life and I will love her in a way that she has never been loved before." Larten reassured Seba, then they shook hands as if our mateship was a business arrangement.**

 **"I will be loyal, loving and faithful." I said to Larten, I couldn't think of what else to say.**

 **"I am glad to hear it," Larten responded, then he added, "I would expect nothing less from you, after all you know how to conduct yourself properly."**

 **"Yes, I do know how to conduct myself. I will never embarrass you or let you down," I concluded, then I whispered to Larten, "May we go palm to palm for a few moments?"**

 **"I think that would be acceptable, you may also drink from my mug of mead if you wish to Zara." Larten replied as he offered me his mug of mead, I drank some of it and then Larten drank the rest of it. Afterwards we stood opposite each other and Larten took my hands in his, then we went palm to palm for a few moments. By this point Seba had vanished becuase he had his duties to attend to, Larten sat down and got himself a fresh mug of water seeing as we had already consumed quite a bit of alcohol. I shared the water because I was thirsty and I didn't want to drink any more alcohol. I was sat next to Larten and he held my hand underneath the table, I hadn't been expecting it but it was a nice thing to do nevertheless. My hands were so small when I compared them to Larten's and he had to be careful that he didn't hold my hand too tightly, otherwise he could have snapped my bones as if they were twigs. I really wanted to kiss Larten publicly but I knew that I couldn't do so, I felt fortunate enough that he was holding my hand.**

 **"I wish that our lips could meet again, if only for a brief moment." I whispered very quietly in Larten's ear. Larten looked at me for a moment, he had a look on his face as if he was considering something carefully. Larten let go of my hand, he put that same hand on the back of my neck and finally he kissed me. The kiss lasted for a few moments and it made my heart pound, then it was over as quickly as it had started.**

 **"Are you happy now?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I was happy anyway but now I'm even happier." I replied quietly.**

 **"Do not expect me to do that too often." Larten reiterated before he finished off his mug of water and poured himself another one.**

 **"I understand, I'd hate to make you feel uncomfortable." I remarked before Larten once again held my hand under the table, this simple gesture meant a lot to me and I appreciated it. I hoped that wouldn't be the only public kiss we'd share, however I knew that Larten didn't like displaying affection towards me in public so I didn't press the matter. Kurda on the other hand was always kissing me and holding me, he wanted everybody in the Clan to know exactly how he felt about me. I missed Kurda a lot, the last kiss that we'd shared together had been playing on my mind and I couldn't stop dreaming about him either no matter how hard I tried.**

 **When I had retired to my quarters Larten joined me there, I completed the work that Seba had wanted me to do and it hadn't taken too long either. With my work finished for the evening I was now free to spend time alone with Larten in my quarters. This was what I looked forward to the most, when we were on our own Larten was very affectionate and loving towards me. Larten kissed me for ages and he didn't hold back either, it was intense and it made me want more of him.**

 **"Do you want to see me without any clothing on?" I asked.**

 **"I may not be able to control myself, however I will try not to take things too far." Larten admitted to me as I stripped off and stood naked infront of him.**

 **"What do you think?" I queried, then I asked, "Is my body good enough for you?"**

 **"You look so innocent that it is hard to believe otherwise, I can also see that you were blooded in an unusual place too. Vampires tend to use their fingertips when they blood a human, however Kurda chose another place on your body. It looks like he did it well too because your scars are tiny and barely visible," Larten remarked, then he added, "I will take off my clothing now too so that you can see what I look like." Larten took off his clothing and then I saw his body for the first time, he was very well built and muscular. Larten also had scarring on quite a bit of his body, however that didn't bother me because I was entranced by his well defined abdominal muscles. Larten really was sexy, Kurda on the other hand had been very slightly built and slender, he told me that compared to the other Princes he was "A slight little wisp". Larten looked as though he was solid as a rock, I was a little bit intimidated because Larten was so much bigger than Kurda and I was tiny, I wasn't quite sure how everything would work out mechanically when the time came for us to mate.**

 **"You are very good looking," I commented, then I said, "I'm a bit worried because I'm tiny compared to you."**

 **"Do not worry, I will not hurt you. I can be gentle if it is necessary to be so." Larten reassured me.**

 **"Do you mean gentle by vampire standards or by human standards?" I asked.**

 **"I can do both, I have skills and plenty of experience. All you have to do is let me know whether it feels good or not, I would never use force against you and if you say no at any point then I will respect that decision." Larten explained to me.**

 **"That means a lot to me, it is nice to know that you will always treat me like a lady and not like an object." I replied.**

 **"I respect women, just because we are vampires it does not mean that we are animals without emotions or morals," Larten told me, then he said, "Seba taught me well and I know how to act like a gentleman, the vampire blood in me does not change that fact."**

 **"I'm glad to hear it," I responded, then I asked impatiently, "Are we going to mate today or not?"**

 **"We cannot mate until your body is suitably stimulated, however we will mate." Larten answered.**

 **"Stimulated how?" I asked, I was intrigued.**

 **"You must be stimulated to a certain level, if I were to penetrate you now then you would not like it. I have to make you really wet and turned on first, you will enjoy yourself much more if you are stimulated than you would if we were to rush into sex."**

 **"I understand, I guess that means plenty of foreplay and lots of kissing plus a few other things too." I remarked.**

 **"That about sums it up," Larten stated, then he added, "I will send you to a place that is beyond Paradise, all you have to do is relax and trust me. I have been having sex for over a century so I know what I am doing, you will not be left wanting either." Larten revealed.**

 **"I'm looking forward to this, I think that you'll be far better than Kurda."**

 **"Did he make you scream?" Larten asked me directly, I was a bit embarrassed by his question.**

 **"No, he didn't. You've asked me this before Larten, I explained to you previously that we kept the noise down so that the other Princes could sleep."**

 **"You do not need to worry about them now, be as loud as you like. It does not bother me, in fact the louder you are the more I will know that you are enjoying yourself." Larten stated.**

 **I had been looking forward to mating with Larten for a while, something told me that it was going to be an incredible experience for both of us that we would share together...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter Six: Mating with Larten**

 **Larten started things off by kissing me, it felt like the most powerful kiss I'd ever experienced, it was deep, long lasting and full of lust. I could feel our bodies touching too, I playfully but gently dug my nails into Larten's back as he penetrated me. I would have gasped but I was kissing Larten too deeply to do so, after all he was much bigger than Kurda so it was a bit of a shock to the system to feel him inside me. I remembered what Larten had told me about relaxing and trusting him, we synchronised our movements and then our two bodies became as one. I could feel the sensations building up inside me, they were getting stronger and I was being far more vocal than I ever had been in the past. I'd never had it this good before and when I eventually did have an orgasm it felt like wave upon wave of pleasure was rocketing through my entire body, it was incredible and I really did feel like I was flying. I let Larten know how much I was enjoying myself by crying out his name more than once, I'm sure that half the Clan heard us but I didn't care about that in the slightest. I had warned Larten about how vocal I could be, he just slammed into me even deeper when I cried out for more and then I saw stars because it was that powerful. I could feel Larten's fluids being released into my body, after that he slowed his pace and then he pulled out of me. We kissed for a long time afterwards, these kisses were gentle and full of love. Eventually we stopped kissing, Larten put his arms around me and I drifted off to sleep. I felt warm, safe and happy, if this is what true contentment felt like then I liked it a lot. I woke up in Larten's arms, I was about to pull his cloak over us when he woke up. Larten draped his cloak over my entire body, it was big enough to use as a blanket after all and I was a little bit cold.**

 **"What about you? Aren't you cold too?" I asked sleepily.**

 **"I am perfectly warm and I am used to sleeping without any covers at all. You on the other hand can snuggle up underneath my cloak whenever you like, I have more than one so it does not matter if you use this one as a blanket." Larten replied.**

 **"I think I have duties to do, I should get up now otherwise I'll keep Seba waiting and that isn't good." I stated.**

 **"Can you even stand up?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I think so, it isn't as though you broke my back Larten," I laughed, then I said, "But you came pretty close to doing that."**

 **"I told you that I had skills. You made me bleed when you dug your nails into my back but I did not mind at all, this is usually what my mates do when I penetrate them for the first time. My mate will instinctively want to grip onto me tightly in whatever way she can," Larten told me, then he added, "I think that it feels better for her that way. If I do hurt my mate when I penetrate her I slow down, I can usually tell if my mate is in pain or not by her reactions." Larten remarked.**

 **"Kurda did the same thing when he took my purity from me, he slowed right down and then he pulled out until he was barely inside of me. I also told him that it was hurting, after that he was even more gentle than he had been before." I stated, then I stood up, stepped out of the coffin and got myself dressed. I felt a bit wobbly on my feet but I was OK.**

 **"You should eat before you go and meet up with Seba, I would also advise that you jump under the waterfalls and refresh yourself. The cold water will soothe your muscles and wake you up a bit," Larten instructed me, then he added, "Also you have my fluids on your body, you should wash them off."**

 **"I think that would be a wise idea," I acknowledged, then I added, "You'll want to wash the blood off of your back too."**

 **I left my quarters and I headed to the Hall of Purta Vin Grahl, that was where vampires washed themselves. There were a row of waterfalls with pools at the bottom, you either stood underneath the waterfall itself or jumped into the pool to wash. The water was icy cold but it was refreshing and because it was constantly flowing it was always clean. I stood underneath the waterfall and then I hopped into the pool, it really was freezing but my vampire blood kept me warm. I washed myself thoroughly, dried myself and got dressed in clean clothes that I'd brought with me. After I had washed I went to the Hall of Khledon Lurt for something to eat, I needed a hot meal and a drink to replenish my energy before I had to go and assist Seba.**

 **"Zara, have you slept at all?" Vanez asked me, then he said, "You look really tired."**

 **"No, I didn't get much sleep." I replied honestly, then I yawned.**

 **"Why am I not surprised?" Vanez asked me sarcastically, then he added, "I was walking past your quarters because my quarters are down the same tunnel. I will however save you the embarrassment of telling you what I heard." At this point I turned bright red.**

 **"Vanez, I..." I began but then he cut me off.**

 **"You don't need to explain yourself or your actions to me, your personal affairs are not any of my business, however I'm glad that you've found happiness."**

 **I was still red, I didn't quite know how to react to Vanez's comments.**

 **"We are happy together, so happy in fact that we have a twenty year term and it is official." I told Vanez in secrecy.**

 **"I'm pleased for you both, you have been through hell after all. Congratulations to the both of you, I hope that your term will be a successful one." Vanez remarked.**

 **"I hope so too and thanks for your kind wishes." I answered, just then Larten came into the Hall of Khledon Lurt, he walked over to where Vanez and I were standing.**

 **"I was just deciding between venison and beef, I like both meats but I don't know what to choose Larten." I said as I helped myself to a mug of water, I drank some and then I put my mug down so that I could help myself to some of the meat.**

 **"Have some of each if you cannot decide, that is what I always do." Larten replied, then he picked up my mug and drank from it before he filled it up again and handed it back to me.**

 **"I see that you are drinking from the same mug, you must trust each other." Vanez remarked to Larten.**

 **"Of course we trust each other, we are in a mateship term," Larten stated, then he added, "We share everything, not just mugs."**

 **"I can imagine, I do have a mate you know." Vanez revealed.**

 **"You kept that quiet, I had no idea that you had a mate Vanez. I am happy for you if she makes you happy," I stated, I was a little bit surprised, then I asked, "Who is it?"**

 **"My mate is Jenna, she works in the Medical Wing and she is Gavner's former assistant, even in death may he be triumphant." Vanez said, then he made the death's touch symbol and we did too.**

 **"I know her, she helped to heal the wound I had on my face by mixing up that anti-bacterial herbal paste." I remarked.**

 **"We have a five year term, we have been mates for roughly eighteen months so far and it is going well, we fit together like two puzzle pieces," Vanez told us, then he added, "You two are a perfect match for one another as well."**

 **"I think so too." I acknowledged.**

 **"Grief brought us together, if something positive can come from the ashes of our sorrow then that is a good thing." Larten stated, he was still wearing black and so was I.**

 **"That makes sense, I'm truly sorry for both of your losses. The Halls of Sport have been really quiet since the battle, nobody duels now and the Bars have been covered in black cloth, Arra's favourite staff has also been mounted on the wall as a memorial to her. Also a lot of Clan members have placed flowers underneath the Bars as a mark of respect." Vanez told Larten.**

 **"I saw them, I laid some down too and so did Zara." Larten replied.**

 **"I feel like I'm at a loose end, I mean if nobody is using the Halls of Sport then I have no work to do. I can't referee matches when there are none to referee." Vanez concluded.**

 **"Be grateful that you have some free time, Seba is always keeping me busy. Talking of which I'd better go and find him, I'm sure he's got a list of chores for me to do like always." I clarified, I finished my meal, I had another drink and then I left to go and find Seba. I'm sure that he wasn't far away. I located Seba in one of the storerooms, he was almost always in a storeroom whenever I searched for him.**

 **"Hi Seba, do you have any chores for me to do?" I asked.**

 **"Actually no, I am fine at the moment Zara. You can go out hunting if you want, you have been cooped up in this mountain for ages and it is not good for you. Take Larten with you too," Seba said with a wink, then he added, "You do need to spend some time bonding with each other after all."**

 **"Alright, that sounds like a great idea." I replied, then I went to go and find Larten. He was still in the Hall of Khledon Lurt so I sat down next to him.**

 **"Seba has no need of me, he says that we should go hunting together," I said to Larten, then I added quietly, "Apparently we need some time to bond with each other according to Seba."**

 **"Yes, I agree. I know a place that we can go to, it is where I take all of my mates when the time is right." Larten said quietly in my ear.**

 **"I'd like that, we can walk through the snow hand in hand." I whispered back to Larten.**

 **"Maybe we can do that," Larten responded, then he said, "It is very dark outside and some of the rocks will be icy."**

 **"I would suggest waiting until it is light outside but you cannot go out in the daytime, perhaps we could take a torch." I suggested.**

 **"Or you could put your trust in me, I can safely guide you to the place in question," Larten told me, then he added, "You really need to start trusting me, I will never let any harm come to you."**

 **"I do trust you, I only suggested using a torch because you mentioned the darkness and the icy rocks." I replied.**

 **"It was a test, I was hoping you would say to me that you trusted me to lead you safely, however you said the most logical thing instead."**

 **"I'm sorry. I'm a very logical person, I was just trying to think of a solution to the problem," I apologised, then I said, "If I didn't trust you then I wouldn't have let you into my quarters, I wouldn't have gone to your quarters on my own several times either."**

 **"That is a good point. Usually vampiresses bring their mentor with them to act as a chaperone when they visit a vampire in his quarters, when you turned up on your own I knew that you trusted me not to take advantage of you." Larten told me.**

 **"When you came to visit me I was also on my own, I could have had Seba in there with me but I chose not to inform him about our little meetings." I replied.**

 **"I am sure that Seba would have known about them whether you told him or not, he never misses a trick. It is impossible to hide something from Seba Nile, he will always figure it out sooner or later," Larten answered, then he said, "Seba even had his suspicions about Kurda, however as he had no proof he could not do anything about the events that took place."**

 **"That must have been awful for Seba, imagine how he must have felt when he found out that his suspicions had been correct but he hadn't been able to act on them." I remarked.**

 **"Seba was really hurt, he blames himself for the deaths of Arra and Gavner. He thinks that if he had only voiced his concerns to the Princes then they could have investigated, Kurda would have been stopped and none of the terrible events that took place would have happened." Larten explained.**

 **"Seba must not blame himself, it is not his fault. Sometimes I blame myself as well, I knew something was up because Kurda got all distant and quiet with me, I thought he was cheating on me at the time. Kurda stopped communicating with me, he refused to tell me what was bothering him and he stopped mating with me. I now understand that Kurda was trying to protect me, he was being cruel to be kind. At the time I didn't know that of course and it upset me." I admitted.**

 **"You have got me now, you should be focusing upon our future together and nothing else." Larten advised me wisely.**

 **"We have a future together? For real?" I asked, I was both stunned and slightly shocked by Larten's revelation.**

 **"Yes, for real. I never joke about serious matters." Larten said, he sounded genuinely serious.**

 **"Oh my word, I can't believe this is actually happening to me Larten. The only thing that would make me even happier than I already am right now is if you proposed to me." I screeched in excitement, I was shaking too.**

 **"Calm yourself Zara, remember how to conduct yourself." Larten stated.**

 **"Yes Larten, I'm sorry if I was a bit over the top. I wasn't expecting it and my heart is pounding really fast like one of those jungle drums."**

 **"It is alright, you should have seen how Arra reacted when she found out that I was going to become a Vampire Prince. Of course I did not become a Prince in the end but at the time Arra and half the Clan held a wild celebration. It was insane, I got mobbed and bundled by vampires I did not even know. Arra hired two Guards for herself and she insisted that she was referred to as Madam by everybody. She wanted my last name as her own too, maybe one night it will become yours Zara," Larten stated, then he added, "I am not promising anything but if I feel that it is the right decision then I will pledge myself to you with intent."**

 **Upon hearing these words I nearly fainted, I genuinely couldn't believe it. This was one of the best nights of my entire life, I will always remember it and look back on it as the high point of my time in the Clan.**

 **"Larten, I don't know what to say to you. I know what I'd like to say to you but I can't say it in public," I stated, then I added, "I'll whisper it in your ear."**

 **"Very well, what is it that you wish to tell me?" Larten queried.**

 **"Larten, I love you more than anything in this world, thank you so much for saving me, for loving me and for being my mate." I whispered to Larten, then I plucked up the courage and kissed his cheek, I hadn't done that before and I was a little bit worried as to what Larten's reaction would be.**

 **"I had no idea that you felt this way about me, thank you for being so open and honest with me," Larten replied, then he whispered in my ear, "I love you too, more than you can imagine." After telling me this Larten stood up, then I stood up and he kissed me, I had only kissed Larten's cheek but he kissed my lips with some degree of passion. I returned the favour of course and then Larten held up his hand, it was still linked with mine. We held our linked hands up in the air whilst we shared our kiss so that the Clan would know we were in a mateship term together.**

 **"Is that how you make a mateship agreement public?" I asked when we had sat down again.**

 **"It is one of the ways yes, there are actually several ways to do it." Larten replied.**

 **"I thought you hated displays of public affection?" I queried, I had my eyebrows raised.**

 **"I do hate them but I made an exception this time for your benefit, I knew that you would appreciate it." Larten told me.**

 **"That is so sweet, you really are one in a million and I'm lucky to have you." I replied, then I bravely moved my head a bit closer to Larten's, we were already facing each other, I was hoping for another kiss and I got one too, it was a real head spinning kiss that lasted for a few minutes.**

 **"That was perfect, thank you for being so attentive towards me." I whispered to Larten.**

 **"I told you that I love you more than you can imagine, I was just proving it to you." Larten replied then he gave me a third, even more passionate kiss. When we kissed it was like being frozen in time for a few moments, the world around us disappeared and all we could focus on was each other.**

 **"I think that is enough of a display for this evening," Larten said after we had mutually broken off our last kiss, then he added, "I hope that you are content."**

 **"I am more than content Larten, my head is still spinning." I replied.**

 **"I have something for you," Larten revealed as he pulled out a small box from inside his black cloak, then Larten said, "It is a little belated birthday gift, I hope that you like it." Larten handed me the box and I opened it up, inside the box was a ring and it flashed like a star.**

 **"This is my way of proving to you how serious I am about us and our mateship, call it a promise ring if you like." Larten told me, then he put the ring on the fourth finger of my right hand and it fitted like a dream.**

 **"Thank you, this means a lot to me Larten." I replied as I admired my ring in the torchlight.**

 **"Your ring has real diamonds set into it, please be careful not to lose it." Larten remarked.**

 **"I will not lose it, I will not even take it off my finger." I said reassuringly.**

 **"You may have to remove it if you ever decide to take the Trials of Death, it could be damaged otherwise," Larten informed me, then he said, "I would not attempt the Trials of Death until you have been fully blooded and trained for them."**

 **"I wasn't planning on taking the Trials at all but thanks for the advice," I said, then I asked, "Do I have to take them or not?"**

 **"There is no law which states that you must take the Trials of Death, however most vampires take them anyway to earn respect and good standing from their comrades," Larten explained, then he added, "Unless you are planning on becoming a Vampire General you do not have to take the Trials of Death, however you will have to become a Vampire General before you can be considered for nomination as our first ever Vampire Princess."**

 **"I see, maybe I'll wait a while and live a bit first. I'm so young and I haven't really seen the world yet. I am still getting over the horror that we've been through recently, I don't know if I'll ever fully recover from it. At least I have you there to hold me and support me, I'm weak on my own but with you by my side I am strong." I told Larten, then I rested my head on his shoulder and at that precise moment Seba came over to us.**

 **"I thought that you were going hunting tegether," Seba commented, then he added, "The moon is full tonight and it is snowing outside too."**

 **"We are going in a minute, Larten and I just made our mateship term public knowledge and he gave me this too," I replied as I showed Seba my new ring, then I remarked, "It is a belated birthday gift." Seba examined my ring closely, it sparkled like a star.**

 **"Two carots of colourless natural diamonds set into platinum with sapphires on the edges, Larten has always spoilt his mates and you are no exception I see," Seba told me, then he added, "You are one very lucky vampiress Zara."**

 **"You do not need to tell me that Seba, I am well aware of that fact and I have never felt happier." I stated, then I blushed a little bit.**

 **"I told you that I would take good care of you, I also told you that I would love you in a way that you have never been loved before, Kurda loved you but not in the same way that I do," Larten told me quietly, then he remarked to Seba, "I know how to look after my mates, Zara is in good hands so you do not need to worry about your assistant."**

 **"I am not worried Larten, I just wanted to be sure that my dicision to allow you to mate was the right one," Seba replied, then he stated, "Judging by what I have seen so far it was most certainly the right decision, I wish you both a successful term."**

 **"We have agreed upon twenty years, that is twice as long as I was with Arra for. What does that tell you?" Larten asked Seba.**

 **"It tells me that you love my assistant, perhaps she will have your last name at some point in the future too," Seba replied thoughtfully, then he remarked, "I will gladly give my consent to that as well if that is your intention Larten."**

 **"I am not making any decisions about that yet, it is a possibility though. If I do decide to pledge myself to Zara with intent then you will be the first to know about it Seba," Larten answered, then he said to me, "I will not consider anything that serious until we have been together for a long time, I need to be sure that it is the right decision before I go ahead and pledge myself to you with intent."**

 **"I understand, we have only just become mates so we need time to bond with each other, after we have bonded we will know whether we are truly compatible or not. If we are not compatible then it is better to find out sooner rather than later," I acknowledged, then I said, "As things stand we seem to be a good match for each other."**

 **"Yes, you two are a good match for each other. Did you follow my advice?" Seba asked Larten.**

 **"If you are referring to making our mateship term consummated then that has already taken place," Larten admitted, then he claimed, "You always have been one to stick with our traditions Seba."**

 **"Thanks for embarrassing me," I informed Seba then I blushed furiously before I asked, "Is it actually any of your business?"**

 **"No, it is not any of my business. I apologise for asking you such a personal question. As I said to you yesterday, affairs of your heart are no concern of mine as long as you are happy." Seba remarked apologetically.**

 **"I accept your apology." I stated, I was still blushing a little bit.**

 **"Come Zara, let us go now. I will take you to the place I told you about, it would also be a good idea to scatter the ashes at the same time." Larten informed me.**

 **"Yes, I agree. It will give us some closure." I nodded as I stood up from the table that I had been sitting at with Larten.**

 **"I will come and find you if I need you Zara, you may be the mate of Larten but you are still my assistant," Seba reminded me, then he added, "You cannot assist me if you are not getting enough sleep."**

 **"I understand Seba." I answered confidently.**

 **"Seba, we are a newly mated couple and we need to bond with each other. Sleep is not on my agenda." Larten told Seba firmly, I had not heard Larten speak to Seba like that before.**

 **"I only want what is best for my assistant," Seba remarked, then he added, "I care about her too."**

 **"I know you care about your assistant, however I love her and I want our mateship to be successful, in order for it to be successful we must form a strong bond with each other that is unbreakable," Larten reiterated, then he continued, "The only way to form a bond with one another is to ensure that our two bodies become as one during the physical act of mating."**

 **"I know that, however there is no need to mate all of the time. Twice a week is perfectly acceptable, if you are celebrating something then you can mate then too but it isn't necessary." Seba explained.**

 **"That is the very reason why you have been single for so long, you were not giving your mates enough physical attention and now you are jealous of me. You know that I never leave my mates wanting, shall I let you in on a little secret? Your ex mate would get frustrated because you were not able to truly satisfy her, as a result of this fact she would come to me instead and I would finish off what you started until she saw stars," Larten confessed, then he added, "Most of your mates have ended up in my quarters actually, I made them feel like they were flying."**

 **"I am no longer as active as I used to be, I am over five hundred years old after all. Certain parts of my body do not function as well as they did in the past," Seba admitted, then he said, "I am no longer able to maintain an erection so it makes mating difficult. That is the reason why I have been single for so long, it is not through choice believe me."**

 **"I am sorry, it is not a nice thing to suffer from. I am fortunate that I have no issues in that department," Larten responded, then he asked, "Have you tried any herbal remedies or that blue pill that humans use?"**

 **"I was too embarrassed about it to seek help, you are the first vampire that I have confided in Larten because I trust you. It is not something that we vampires usually discuss either, our medical issues are our own business," Seba stated, then he looked straight at Larten and he queried, "Can you help me to fix my problem?"**

 **"I can certainly give you a recipe for a herbal tincture, you swallow it about an hour before you are going to mate and it will solve your little issue," Larten answered, then he explained, "The only downside is that it makes you feel sick, it is not the nicest of herbal remedies but it certainly works."**

 **"Anything is better than being unable to mate again, however we will discuss this subject in private at a later date. I have work to do and you have things to attend to also." Seba concluded.**

 **"Very well, I will gather the necessary herbs and brew up the tincture in question ready for you to use," Larten acknowledged, then he told me, "We should have left ages ago, the sun will be up in a few hours."**

 **"Do we have time to get there and come back here?" I asked, worried.**

 **"There is a shelter available, the sun will not affect my skin whilst I am in the place itself. The sun will not affect you because you are only a half vampire Zara," Larten reminded me, then he added, "Go and get what you need and I will meet you at the main exit tunnel."**

 **"Alright, I won't be long." I replied as I headed to my quarters to collect the pot that contained Kurda's ashes within it. I wanted to keep some of them and scatter the rest. I met Larten by the main exit tunnel and we walked along it until we were outside of the mountain, the cold air was a shock because inside the mountain fires were blazing and they kept the halls warm. I was glad to have a thick cloak, I needed it in this cold weather. Larten guided me to the very same spot that Kurda had proposed to me, the river was frozen over and the ground was white from the snow that had previously fallen. I stood in the exact place that I had been in when Kurda had asked me to become his Pledged Mate, I let a few silent tears leak from my eyes as I looked back on that night, then I opened the pot and scattered most of Kurda's ashes around me.**

 **"Even in death may you be triumphant Kurda Smahlt." I said this out of habit more than anything else.**

 **"You have been given closure on this chain of events," Larten said, then he added, "Perhaps now we can move on together and look forward to our future as mates."**

 **"Yes, I do have closure, however I still miss Kurda terribly. It is like having a wound that won't seem to heal."**

 **"I feel the same way about losing Arra, however wounds heal in time if the right medicine is applied to them." Larten answered metaphorically.**

 **"What is the right medicine to use on our wounds?" I asked.**

 **"The love we feel for each other will heal the wounds that we have suffered in the past," Larten replied, then he said, "Trust me on this, it takes time but we will heal each other in the end."**

 **"I hope so, I cannot keep dreaming about Kurda's lost soul because it is really affecting me," I admitted, then I asked, "Do you dream about Arra?"**

 **"Sometimes I do," Larten answered, then he revealed, "I dream about our shared past together and I see her duelling on the Bars too."**

 **"That is better than seeing her lost soul looking grey, shadow-like and empty like Kurda is when I see him. His spirit must be in the Lake of Souls, isn't that where traitors end up?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, if Mr Tiny doesn't turn them into Little People first."**

 **"Where did you want to take me?" I queried, changing the subject as I wiped my eyes.**

 **"I am taking you to a place that I built, it is a small shelter that is high up in a tree. It may not sound very exciting but the view from up there is worth the climb, I take my mates up there just before the sunset on clear nights because then you can see the stars clearly." Larten told me as he took my hand and led me to this place.**

 **"It sounds like a really beautiful experience to share with somebody." I commented.**

 **"That is not all I have planned, however I do not want to reveal too much just yet." Larten stated, then a few minutes later he stopped at a tree and he looked upwards.**

 **"This is the place, hold onto me tightly and I will climb up the tree." Larten instructed, he bent down and I got onto his back, I gripped onto him, then he dug his nails into the trunk of the tree and he began to climb up it. It didn't take long for us to reach the top of the tree and enter the wooden structure that Larten had built. It was like a platform with a roof. It was very high up, in fact it was high enough for us to see the whole of the mountain range and the horizon in the distance. It was dark outside so the sky was inky blue and the mountain range looked black, however the moon was really bright and so too were the stars.**

 **"What do you think?" Larten asked me.**

 **"Well you were right about the view from up here, when the sky gets a bit lighter it will be easier to see. Everything is dark at the moment." I commented, then I looked up at the sky and I searched for two of the brightest stars. I had remembered what Kurda had told me about the two brightest stars in the sky being his eyes. It was sweet of him to tell me something like this because it made me feel as though he was still with me in part. I saw two very bright stars that were next to each other and I stared at them for ages, just as a few tears began to flow down my face the wind picked up and I could feel this energy all around me. It felt as though I was being hugged by somebody, it was very weird but comforting at the same time.**

 **"Larten, something strange just happened," I said, then I remarked, "When the wind picked up just now I felt like somebody was hugging me, however nobody was there."**

 **"Odd things like that happen to those who are grieving, you are still coming to terms with everything that has happened. Your brain is trying to find coping mechanisms, dealing with grief is not easy after all," Larten stated plainly, then he admitted, "I thought I heard Gavner talking outside my quarters not long ago, I know that he is dead but strange occurrences keep happening to me as well."**

 **"Weird huh?" I answered.**

 **"Yes, it is rather strange. Things like this pass in time, it is a part of the grieving and healing process. It is easier to grieve for somebody if you think of them as not really gone, but rather that they are still with you in some way," Larten told me, then he added, "We have both lost two of our closest friends and you also lost your Pledged Mate as well, it will take a fair bit of time before you can accept what has happened, move on from it and no longer dwell upon it."**

 **"I agree, scattering the ashes helped me because I've finally accepted that Kurda is never coming back. It hurts but it is the harsh reality that I must learn to deal with." I concluded.**

 **"Likewise, seeing the Bars covered in black cloth and the flowers made me realise that Arra is also gone, however she will never be forgotten. Glory will shine on Arra's name as she was a vampiress of good standing." Larten remarked.**

 **"I agree, I am sure that the Clan in years to come will tell new Clan members about Arra and about how much of a warrior she was. Her name will go down in history as a loyal, highly skilled vampiress who gave her life to defend the Clan that she loved so much, there is no shame in that Larten."**

 **"No, there is certainly no shame in that. You did not know Arra in the same way that I did, but I saw how you got along together. You earnt the respect of Arra and that is something you can hold onto and look back on. When you defeated Arra on the Bars I was shocked, however I knew at that moment that you were much stronger than you appeared to be," Larten responded, then he added, "You are strong Zara, do not forget that fact. Strength is a great asset to have if you are a vampire."**

 **"What was it you have planned for me?" I enquired, once again I was trying to change the subject.**

 **"Give me a moment, I need to move something first," Larten said as he reached up to the roof and gripped onto something and then it slid across. The roof opened up just like a sunroof in a car. When Larten had opened up the roof for me he remarked, "Take a look at the sky now that I have opened the roof panels up, the moon is shining directly above our heads."**

 **"Wow, the view is spectacular, I've never felt this close to the sky before. It is almost as though I can reach up and touch the stars themselves, my vampiric vision makes everything look so much clearer as well, thank you for bringing me here Larten." I replied.**

 **"I thought that you would like to come here, this is about as romantic as I get. Unlike humans we vampires are not romantic by nature. Humans go over the top, for vampires the simple things in life mean the most to us," Larten stated, then he declared, "I have never seen a clearer sky, not in over fifty years. There is not a single cloud to be seen."**

 **"It truly is a beautiful night and I'm sharing it with you, that means more to me than anything. Just being here makes me happy." I acknowledged as I stepped forward, then I bravely stood on my tiptoes so that I was almost level with Larten and I kissed him. I had my arms around Larten's neck and he was holding my waist whilst we kissed. I hope that Larten didn't mind me kissing him first, normally I never had the courage to do it but this time it just felt right. I never imagined I'd find myself kissing a vampire under the stars but here I was doing exactly that. It was one of the most romantic moments of my life, I didn't want it to end either but eventually it had to because of the sunrise.**

 **"I'll never forget this night as long as I live, it couldn't have been any more perfect." I told Larten as he descended the tree with me on his back.**

 **"I waited for the perfect weather conditions, I wanted it to be a time for us to bond with one another. I could not think of a better way to form a bond with you than to take you up there, open the roof and kiss you under the stars, except that you kissed me first." Larten explained as we headed back towards the entrance of the mountain before the sun rose too much.**

 **"Did you mind that I kissed you first?" I asked when we were safely in Larten's quarters.**

 **"No, why should I mind if my mate kisses me?" Larten queried.**

 **"I just wanted to be sure, that's all." I answered.**

 **"You can kiss me whenever you want to as long as we are alone, I like it when you kiss me." Larten told me.**

 **"I like it too, you really know how to make my head spin in a good way," I remarked, then I added, "I hope that I am the only one that you kiss, if I saw you with somebody else it would really hurt me Larten."**

 **"Of course I only kiss you, I am no cheater. I would not dream of kissing anybody else," Larten reassured me, then he said, "I love you too much to do something stupid like that, you will never see me with any other woman, vampiress or otherwise. I am your mate and that means I will be faithful to you, I would not betray your trust in me."**

 **"Likewise Larten, I feel the same way as you do on this particular matter." I remarked.**

 **"Would you like to mate with me?" Larten asked me as he got himself undressed and lay down inside his coffin.**

 **"Yes, I would like that very much. You are very good at the physical side of mating after all and we do need to bond with each other." I answered as I joined Larten in his coffin. I made myself comfortable and I pulled Larten's cloak over both of us, it felt nice to lie next to him and feel his warmth as we kissed each other passionately. This time I went on top, it was OK but I didn't really know what to do so we changed positions and it felt even better than it had done previously. When I reached my peak this time it lasted and I can't describe how wonderful it felt, we were completely lost in each other and our two bodies had indeed become as one. Up until this point I hadn't been very vocal, however when Larten went deeper inside of me it tipped me over the edge. I felt like I was floating and it was the most amazing sensation I'd ever experienced in my life.**

 **"Please don't stop, it feels so good," I eventually managed to say, then I whispered, "I love you with all my heart, body and soul."**

 **"I have no intention of stopping, I said that I would never leave you wanting and I meant it," Larten replied as he continued to go back and forth inside me, he kissed me and then he told me quietly, "My heart is yours Zara, please do not break it, for I love you more than words can express." As Larten said these words to me he made me orgasm and he did too, I could feel his fluids flowing into me as we kissed deeply and became as one, we truly were bonded to each other now and nobody could come between us. When we had finished mating Larten pulled out of me, I tugged at the cloak until it was covering up our bodies, I made myself comfortable and slept in my mate's arms...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 7: Larten's Journey**

 **A few nights had gone by, Larten and myself were mating frequently and our bond was really strong. I mated with Larten far more often than I had mated with Kurda, there was no comparison between the two either. I was lying in Larten's coffin after one particularly energetic mating session, it had been a really enjoyable one too. I had been trying not to be too vocal but Larten had made me scream, I was pretty certain that most of the Clan would have heard me too despite my best efforts not to be too loud.**

 **"I told you that I could make you scream, I hope that the orgasm you had was a good one," Larten said to me, then he added, "I love it when you scream for me, it lets me know that you are enjoying it."**

 **"It was out of this world, I felt like I was soaring and not just flying." I remarked.**

 **"It has made our bond really strong, I have to leave here soon and go on a long journey. As the assistant of Seba you have to stay here with him but I will return," Larten revealed to me, then he said, "I will hate being away from you but I have no choice in the matter."**

 **"It makes me sad to think of us being apart, I'll really miss you when you're gone," I remarked, then I added, "I am used to sleeping in your arms now too, I can't sleep unless you are holding me close to you."**

 **"When I return to you I will make up for our time apart, I will be gone for a few weeks at the most," Larten revealed, then he said, "I promise that I will pledge myself to you with intent when we are re-united, all I ask in return is that you stay faithful to me whilst I am gone."**

 **"Of course I will stay faithful to you, I love you Larten. If I were pledged to you with intent then it would be wonderful, that is a vampire's way of getting engaged right?" I asked.**

 **"In a manner of speaking, it means that we would eventually become Blessed Mates. That is to say that we would hold a ceremony of sorts, say vows, exchange rings, finally the Princes would declare us to be Blessed Mates and then my last name would become yours Zara." Larten told me.**

 **"In other words we'd get hitched or tie the knot vampire style. I'd love that, Zara Crepsley has a good ring to it too," I replied with a grin, then I asked, "Will you have to propose to me in public?"**

 **"Yes, I will have to do that no matter how embarrassing it is for you or for myself," Larten answered, then he added, "I know how excited you must be right now, however please keep this news to yourself until I can make the necessary arrangements."**

 **"I'm beyond excited Larten, I feel like I'm dreaming. Is this actually happening to me?" I asked, I was still in shock.**

 **"Yes, this is for real. I want to pledge myself to you and only you Zara, I love you that much." Larten answered, then he kissed me for quite a while. When we had broken off our kiss I said, "Larten, you have made me the happiest woman in the world. I love you with every fibre of my being, my heart belongs to you and only you have the key to unlock it."**

 **"I would give my last breath to save your life if I had to." Larten told me.**

 **"Aww, that is so sweet. You really are in love with me aren't you?" I asked, I hoped that the answer would be yes.**

 **"Of course I am in love with you, I would not consider becoming pledged to you with intent otherwise." Larten acknowledged.**

 **"I wonder what my rings will look like," I said, thinking about them.**

 **"I will pick something for you that can be seen from a fair distance away, it shall sparkle in the light more than your other ring does." Larten revealed to me.**

 **"A decent sized stone then?" I queried.**

 **"Of course, you deserve the very best of everything." Larten answered.**

 **"I've never asked you this before but are you wealthy?" I enquired.**

 **"I have enough money to take care of you to a very high standard, I am also wealthy enough to buy you a decent Pledge ring and a stunning Blessed Mateship band. I do not however like to talk about money, it makes the other Clan members jealous and I would hate it if a fight broke out." Larten answered me honestly.**

 **"I understand, I was just curious. I didn't mean to pry into your private financial affairs." I stated.**

 **"It is alright, we have no secrets from each other after all." Larten reassured me.**

 **"I'll have to ask for Seba's consent or is it you that has to ask for consent?" I enquired.**

 **"I have to ask for the consent of Seba in order to become pledged to you before I propose to you. Seba also has to give you his consent, you cannot accept my proposal without his consent to do so." Larten explained to me.**

 **"That's complicated, talk about not making things easy for us." I commented.**

 **"That is vampire law, the Princes would take a dim view of things if we did not ask for consent first." Larten declared.**

 **"I understand, what is your opinion on having children?" I asked.**

 **"I do not like children, besides it is of little matter seeing as vampires are unable to have children. Why do you ask?" Larten queried, his eyebrows were raised.**

 **"I was unaware of the fact that vampires can't have children, I asked you because I stupidly believed that I was pregnant by you." I admitted.**

 **"I am surprised that Kurda never mentioned it to you. The only way we can increase our numbers is by blooding humans. I thought that Seba would have told you but he neglected to do so." Larten commented.**

 **"It is OK, everybody makes mistakes and important facts get forgotten sometimes. I am afraid that you will never become a mother, I will never be a father either but it does not bother me at all." Larten stated.**

 **"It bothers me, I have always wanted children. It is perfectly natural for a woman to want to have a child by the man or in this case the vampire that she loves, finding out that I am infertile is really heartbreaking for me." I confessed.**

 **"I had no idea that you did not know about this, Kurda should have told you before he blooded you. Why did you think that you were pregnant?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I have stopped bleeding, I was still having periods until recently. I thought that I missed my period and I was therefore pregnant by you. I am still half human after all." I explained to Larten.**

 **"It is not uncommon for vampiresses to still have periods, vampire blood does not get rid of their eggs after all. What happens is that the eggs die, you still have a period to shed your egg every month but as it is dead it is unable to be fertilised. If your periods have stopped then it means you have no more eggs to shed, think of it like a very early menopause." Larten explained to me.**

 **"I see, it hurts me to know that I will never be a mother. I wanted to give you a son that you could be proud of, a son to carry your name and bring further glory to our Clan." I admitted, then a few tears leaked from my eyes.**

 **"I am sorry that this is not possible for us, have you never asked yourself why there are no vampire children or babies?" Larten asked me.**

 **"There are so few vampiresses. If they got pregnant then fights would break out, you said yourself that they are sluts. How would they know who the father was if they have lots of mates? I also believed that most of the Clan would be too old to have children. I figured that the young Clan members who have only recently joined us were using condoms. I wondered why you have never used one since we've been mates. Are we immune to HIV too?" I asked. I felt really stupid.**

 **"Yes, vampires are immune from sexually transmitted infections, vampire blood acts like a barrier so it is not all bad news." Larten told me.**

 **"I feel stupid, I can't believe I thought I was pregnant by you. I also feel quite upset because my vision of me, you and our child will never become reality."**

 **"I am sorry for that, had I known that you were unaware of the facts then I would have told you them myself much sooner." Larten told me.**

 **"It is OK, I'll get over it. I can't be altered so I just have to accept it." I replied, then more tears rolled down my cheeks. I was genuinely heartbroken.**

 **"You really wanted a child this badly?" Larten asked me.**

 **"Yes, I wanted to have a child with you almost as much as I wanted to marry you so to speak, I wanted a happy ending to a rather terrible start in life."**

 **"At least you and I will become Blessed Mates, that much is certain. Becoming Blessed Mates is the closest thing to marriage for vampires." Larten reassured me as he wiped the tears away from my eyes, then he kissed me tenderly, Larten's love for me was real and I could feel it in his kiss.**

 **"We could get a pet together, it is not the same as a child but it will allow you to have some sense of being a mother. I already have a spider, maybe a snake would suit you?" Larten suggested to me.**

 **"I would like a pet, snakes are cool. I like snakes." I replied.**

 **"I know somebody who could get you one, I would help you to take care of it properly of course, snakes are not the easiest pets to look after. They need heat and the right levels of humidity." Larten informed me.**

 **"If you could bring me a snake back from your journey then that would be great," I replied, then I added, "A corn snake would be perfect for me."**

 **"I will speak to my associate and see what he comes up with, he is very knowledgeable about snakes," Larten assured me, then he said, "I will return to you as soon as I am able to. I may bring somebody with me, a new assistant. Would that bother you?" Larten asked me.**

 **"No, not really. I trust you to stay faithful to me. I would prefer if you had a male assistant though rather than a female one, I get on better with males on the whole." I answered honestly.**

 **"Very well, I shall keep that in mind," Larten remarked, then he reiterated, "I would never be unfaithful to you, I love you too deeply to do that to you."**

 **"I love you too much to stray from you, I shall wait for you to return to me Larten like any loyal mate would do." I declared.**

 **"When I return you and I will become pledged with intent, I do not want you to shed any more tears, you have been through enough sadness in your life." Larten told me, then he kissed me lovingly and I kissed Larten back, except that my kiss was more playful than his had been. We were still naked from where we had mated but that didn't matter, we kissed each other for a long time. Larten touched my skin and it made me shiver, I wanted to mate again. When Larten touched me I let him know that I was enjoying it, I moaned softly into his mouth as we kissed and I touched his body too.**

 **"Do you want me?" Larten asked teasingly as he kissed me.**

 **"Yes." I replied before I returned Larten's kiss with a passionate one of my own.**

 **"Shall I mate with you again?" Larten queried as he ran his hands up the inside of my legs.**

 **"Please do, I want you badly." I pleaded, I was really turned on by this point.**

 **"I will go down on you first," Larten replied, then he said, "I will make you shake with pleasure, then you will cry out my name as I go back and forth inside you until I release my fluids deep inside your body." Larten then moved until his head was between my legs, he held onto my hips and then he began to use his tongue in my most sensitive areas. Soon I was breathing faster, moaning and shaking in ecstasy as I orgasmed, then Larten penetrated me. I lifted my legs up a bit and locked them around his body, then we moved in sync with each other until I hit my climax and I was far more vocal this time because it felt so powerful, Larten didn't stop either, he kept on going and that made me even louder because I was enjoying it so much. I wanted Larten to know how good he was after all, when he finally released his fluids into my body and pulled out of me I lay still for ages afterwards, I was really hot and out of breath but at least I felt satisfied.**

 **"That was mindblowing, thank you for fulfilling my needs," I said, then I added, "I love you."**

 **"It was good for me too, when I climaxed and released my fluids into you I could feel your energy as you orgasmed, feeling that energy from you made my climax even better, we truly were as one just now when we shared those final moments of ecstasy together," Larten told me, then he said, "That is how mating should feel, if it does not end like that then it has not been done properly."**

 **"You obviously know what you are doing, your skills are remarkable and I love mating with you. Every time we mate it makes our bond stronger, I bet half the Clan heard us though and for that I apologise."**

 **"At least I know that you really enjoyed it this time, that much was clear to me," Larten said, then he remarked, "I love you and only you." After saying this Larten kissed me gently, it was a moment of tenderness between us. After we kissed I settled myself into Larten's arms and slept the rest of the day away.**

 **When I woke up Larten was no longer beside me, I did however have his cloak draped over me. I wasn't sure where he was, I was too tired and comfortable to move so I stayed in his coffin and waited for him to return. Larten came back to his quarters about an hour later, I wasn't sure where he'd been or anything but it didn't matter too much. I was still snuggled up under Larten's cloak, it was thick and soft so it acted like an ideal blanket, it also smelt like both of us and our love.**

 **"Where were you?" I asked, "I don't like waking up on my own."**

 **"I am sorry, I went to the water closet and then I had to deal with a rude vampire who was doing impressions of us, he heard us mating and thought he would make a joke out of it. I put him in his place and then I returned to you." Larten explained to me.**

 **"We should ask Seba for some new quarters that we can share, ones that are away from the main tunnels, that way we can mate in peace without others hearing us." I suggested.**

 **"That is a good idea, however I will be leaving later on tonight so it will not matter," Larten stated, then he said, "We will mate again before I leave, we can spend as much time together as possible then."**

 **"I'll miss you when you've gone, how will I cope with my urges?" I asked.**

 **"You can masturbate and moan my name when you orgasm. You will have to use something to masturbate with, you do not want to cut yourself open with your nails after all." Larten informed me.**

 **"I'll think of something, it won't be as good as you but it'll help to keep my cravings at bay." I commented.**

 **"It will not be easy for you, however I will try my best not to be away for any longer than I have to be," Larten said, then he added, "If I did not have to go then I would not be going."**

 **"I'll miss you badly, we have not spent any time apart from each other at all, we really do share every aspect of our lives together. Being away from you will be torture, I won't sleep properly either because you won't be there to hold me."**

 **"I may only be gone for a few nights, it depends upon how quickly I can fix the issues I have got," Larten told me, then he said, "I will miss you too."**

 **"It is your kiss that I'll miss the most, that and mating with you. I don't know how I'll cope without you being by my side, you are like my missing piece." I stated.**

 **"A part of me will still be with you, not only do you own my heart but also a piece of my soul. I have a piece of yours as well and it is deep inside of me, do not forget either that you have traces of my love within your body too." Larten reminded me.**

 **"I can still feel your energy around me, even when we aren't actually together I know that you are still keeping an eye on things," I said, then I remarked, "If we could become pledged to each other before you leave it'd make me feel more secure."**

 **"I have no ring for you as of yet, I cannot propose to you without a ring, it would not be the right thing to do," Larten told me, then he added, "I will however speak with Seba and gain his consent, you need to do that too."**

 **"You have a ring on a chain around your neck, is that not good enough? It looks like a nice enough ring to me," I commented, then I queried, "Can't you use that one?"**

 **"The ring that I have on a chain around my neck is the ring that I had planned to give to Arra when I pledged myself to her, however that never happened. If I gave it to you then it would not be right, you cannot wear a ring that was intended for my former mate, it would be like giving you something second hand when you deserve better."**

 **"I don't mind, I'm sure Arra wouldn't mind either, it could just be temporary until you get me my own ring. I'll give this one back to you when it has been replaced, I had been wondering why you had a ring on a chain around your neck. I was meant to ask you about it but I hadn't got around to it until now," I explained, then I commented, "I don't think the Clan would mind, it isn't as though you've broken any laws."**

 **"Seba would not approve." Larten told me, he had firmness in his voice now and that was my cue to drop the matter.**

 **"Very well, if Seba would not approve of it then I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for you to return." I sighed sadly.**

 **"You seem rather downhearted, I can hear it in your voice. I know that you do not wish for me to leave, I do not wish to leave either. When I return however I will bring back with me a snake for you to love and a decent ring with high quality stones in it," Larten reassured me, then he concluded by saying, "After so long apart we will spend quite a while alone together in our new, shared quarters, I will make sure that I satisfy all of your sexual needs and in doing so we will strengthen our bond."**

 **"I will be dying for you to touch my body again, when you touch me I come alive. It feels as though I have electric shooting through me." I admitted.**

 **"I will take you to a place that is on the edge of Paradise and beyond, you will see the stars and feel as though you are flying between them. You will lose all sense of time, after that you will come back down to Earth and I will catch you in my arms so that you can sleep in them once again," Larten informed me, then he added, "I know that you love to sleep in my arms after we mate, I think you like the closeness that you get from it."**

 **"It makes me feel safe and loved when I am able to sleep in your arms, you did tell Seba that you would love me in a way that I've never been loved before after all." I reiterated.**

 **"I did indeed say that I would love you in a way that you have never been loved before, I intend to do just that," Larten acknowledged, then he declared, "You have nothing to fear any longer, I will guard you with my life and love you until my last breath leaves my body."**

 **"That is probably one of the sweetest, most romantic things I've ever been told in my life. Even Kurda didn't say things like that to me, however he did tell me once that he loved me more than his own life," I confirmed, then I sighed, "It was one of the last things that Kurda ever said to me before he was executed."**

 **"I am sure that Kurda meant what he said, he did his best to make sure that his last moments with you were positive ones despite the circumstances," Larten reassured me, then he added, "Kurda wanted you to have this, it belonged to him. Kurda gave it to me for safe keeping a few nights before his plans were discovered, he told me to give it to you if anything happened to him, I had meant to give it to you sooner than this so for that I apologise." After saying this Larten handed me a little box, I opened it and inside was the ornate pin that he used to hold his cloak in position.**

 **"It may only be a small token but I'm glad to have it, thank you for giving it to me Larten," I replied as I examined the pin more closely, then I asked, "Should I wear it or not?"**

 **"If I were you I would not wear it, I would keep it inside its box. If you were to wear it then the Clan would not look favourably upon it," Larten told me, then he added, "I will give you one of my cloak pins, the one you have does not hold your cloak in place properly and it often drapes along the ground. The sharp stone floor could tear the bottom of your cloak, then you would need a new one. You deserve better than to be dressed in rags or torn clothing after all."**

 **"I'd like that. I am always stepping on my cloaks, I'm lucky that they haven't already been torn to be honest," I replied, then I added, "I think I need slightly smaller cloaks, the ones I have are all a bit big for me."**

 **"Yes, I had noticed that. I will buy you three new cloaks whilst I am on my travels," Larten informed me, then he thought for a moment before adding, "You will need a black cloak for serious occasions or for periods of mourning, however I will also buy you one or two that you can wear all the time. When one is being washed and dried you can wear the other one."**

 **"That makes sense, I need some new clothing because what I brought with me is very limited," I remarked, then I asked, "Could you ask Seba to try and find me some new clothes and shoes please? My shoes have holes in them."**

 **"Why did you not say anything to me before now?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I didn't want to seem like I was using you, you have given me so much already and I thought it'd be wrong of me to ask you for more," I answered honestly, then I added, "I am not a gold digger you know."**

 **"If your shoes have holes in them then I will provide you with new shoes, if your clothing is damaged then I will make sure that you have new clothing," Larten assured me, then he said, "I know that you are not a gold digger, however I will not stand to see you dressed in rags either. What you have asked me for is nothing more than essential items, as your mate it is my duty to take care of you and provide for you."**

 **"Originally I was going to ask Seba for some new clothing, however I figured that seeing as you are going on a journey you will be passing by some shops. I thought that you could send your new assistant when you've found him or her to the shops on your behalf. Your new assistant would then be able to pick up some new clothing for me, seeing as you could not go there yourself due to the sunlight," I explained, then I added, "I wear a UK size ten to twelve in clothing and I am a UK size six in shoes, that is a thirty nine in European sizes. In European sizes for clothing I wear an M which stands for medium."**

 **"I will remember that, I have a good friend who will assist me in choosing some suitable attire for you. You will not be wearing second hand clothing for much longer," Larten declared, then he said, "If ever you need anything such as clothing, shoes or other basic necessities then just ask me for them. I will not deny you anything that I deem to be a reasonable request."**

 **"You are very kind and generous, I have no money to speak of so how can I pay you back for my new clothing and shoes?" I asked.**

 **"There is no need to pay me back, I know that you have no money of your own. Vampires do not usually require money seeing as they have no bills to pay, they build their own shelters and they hunt or forage for their food. In certain circumstances however vampires need money, sometimes they need to buy weapons or pay for them to be sharpened," Larten told me, then he added, "Sometimes vampires use money to purchase a Pledge ring for their mate if they wish to make a commitment to them."**

 **"I figured that out, I mean jewels are not cheap. Even semi-precious stones cost money let alone diamonds set into platinum." I remarked, referring to my own ring.**

 **"I have always been careful with my money, I earnt it by working for and performing with the Cirque Du Freak. When I am not living here normally I travel with the Cirque Du Freak," Larten told me, then he suggested, "Maybe I will take you to meet them after we are pledged to each other, Seba will not mind."**

 **"That would be wonderful, I do not want to live here for year after year. There is not much entertainment going on now that the Halls of Sport have been closed for refurbishment, I get bored all the time," I complained, then I added, "My only entertainment comes from you."**

 **"I do my best to keep you occupied and happy," Larten answered,**

 **"You are doing a great job so far, I have no complaints at all." I remarked, then Larten stated simply, "I know how to take care of my mates."**

 **"Yes, you do know how to take care of me. I have nothing but love and respect for you Larten," I responded, then I said, "Thank you for everything that you've done for me."**

 **"We saved each other from the depths of depression caused by our grief, after that love blossomed between us." Larten stated as if it was no big deal.**

 **"I did not expect you to fall in love with me, in fact I thought that I didn't have any hope of becoming your mate. I honestly believed that I wasn't good enough for you Larten," I admitted honestly, then I said, "When you told me that you loved me it made me feel more joy than I've ever felt before."**

 **"When you declared how deeply you were in love with me I knew that I had stolen your heart," Larten admitted, then he added, "I will take good care of it too, I swear."**

 **"I was just being honest with you, I couldn't hide how I felt about you any longer. When we shared our first kiss I knew that it would be just one of many between us, I could feel your love for me contained within it," I confirmed, then I confessed, "When you kissed me in the Hall of Khledon Lurt I felt like the luckiest vampiress in the whole Clan."**

 **"I noticed how the other Clan members were looking at you, I do not think that they could believe what they were seeing. Your little outburst of excitement just confirmed to them what they already thought to be the case." Larten told me.**

 **"I couldn't help it, I was overcome with emotions. I tried my best to keep myself under control, I think that I did rather well considering the situation I was in." I answered plainly.**

 **"You controlled yourself better than one of my former mates, she got all of her friends within the Clan to throw her some kind of celebratory party when I agreed to a mateship term with her, she got hideously drunk and went to the wrong quarters. Our agreement did not last long, she just wanted to party all the time and she demanded money from me constantly too," Larten explained, then he acknowledged, "You on the other hand would never embarrass me like that, you know your place and how to act in public situations."**

 **"Seba has taught me well, I will never give you a reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed of me due to my conduct." I reassured Larten.**

 **"Seba is a great mentor, if you listen to his advice and follow it then you will not put a foot wrong," Larten stated,**

 **"That's exactly what I've been trying to do Larten, are you not due to leave soon?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, I will be leaving within the next hour." Larten confirmed.**

 **"I'm going to miss you so much, please don't be away from me for too long." I sighed, I was feeling sad because of Larten's imminent departure.**

 **"I will endeavour to conclude my business as quickly as possible so that I can return to you," Larten remarked, then he added, "I will find somebody to look out for you whilst I am away, they will keep you company because I know how lonely you get. I may give them my consent to hold you in their arms whilst you sleep, I know that it makes you feel better when somebody holds you close to them. By allowing this to happen I am putting my complete trust in you to stay faithful to me."**

 **"You can trust me, I wouldn't ever cheat on you Larten. The thought of another man touching my skin makes me feel physically sick," I answered honestly, then I stated, "I trust you too, I know that you would never betray me."**

 **"I must be on my way soon Zara," Larten told me, then he added, "I will speak with one of the Princes, I am sure that I can trust him to hold you in his arms whilst you sleep and not do anything of an inappropriate nature."**

 **"I'm the former Pledged Mate of a traitor, somehow I do not think that I'm the Princes' favourite person at the moment," I claimed, then I asked, "Who did you have in mind anyway?"**

 **"I was going to ask Prince Mika," Larten answered, then he enquired, "Is that OK with you?"**

 **"Yes, that's fine." I replied.**

 **"I must be on my way soon." Larten reiterated, then he kissed me in such a manner that it made my entire body tingle. I was also trembling and my head was once again spinning, this was due to the power in Larten's kiss. Larten held onto me and I had my arms around his neck whilst we kissed. When we broke off our kiss we held each other for a while, I had my head resting on Larten's chest because he was a few inches taller than me. When I eventually stopped feeling dizzy I was able to stand up straight again.**

 **"Are you OK?" Larten asked me, he looked concerned.**

 **"Yes, I'm fine but that kiss was so powerful it made me feel quite unsteady on my feet." I answered.**

 **"I wanted to give you something to think about whilst I am not here. If you are feeling lonely you can look back on that kiss and then you will not feel so alone. A part of me will remain with you even though I will be away on business," Larten told me, then he added, "I will also miss your kisses, they are so innocent but I can feel your lust for me in them also."**

 **"I try to convey how strongly I feel about you through my kisses, my words alone aren't enough." I explained.**

 **"Your lust for me is clear, as for your love I can see it whenever I look at you. I see nothing but love in your eyes, it is also said that the eyes are windows into the soul," Larten remarked, then he stated, "Your soul is pure and I know that your love for me is genuine. I can also tell how loyal you are to me, I am after all a very good judge of character."**

 **"You've read me like a book, everything you just said is accurate." I replied.**

 **"I thought that it would be, I know you very well Zara. In fact I know you better than anybody else in this Clan, I have shared everything with you including my heart, body and soul. We eat together, we share the same mugs, we share time together, we share each other's warmth, we also have a strong bond and we share our energy with each other too," Larten explained to me, then he added, "When I make you orgasm I can feel our bodies becoming as one, I look into your eyes and we have a connection at that moment that I have never felt with any of my former mates. When I feel your body shaking underneath mine I know that you are experiencing powerful sensations, when you moan my name and cry out for more it lets me know that I am satisfying you. Even after we have finished mating I can still feel your warmth, your heart pounds and we share a moment of pure love and happiness between us."**

 **"I experience exactly the same thing as you during the aftermath of expressing our love for each other physically, those feelings of love that we share with one other bring us closer together," I confirmed, then I said, "In those few brief moments I feel our bond strengthening as we kiss tenderly."**

 **"I should go and speak with Prince Mika now, I will be leaving after that. I must make the most of the night and travel as far as I can," Larten told me, then he added, "If I can get to my destination quickly then I can conclude my business and return to you sooner." After Larten said this he kissed me once more, Larten hadn't told me where he was going or what he was doing but it must have been important. I understood that Larten wasn't going alone either, Prince Darren was going with him too. I wanted to know what Larten's business involved, however I was sure that if Larten had wanted to tell me about it then he would have done so, I didn't press him for details on the matter either. I didn't think that Larten had the time to explain everything to me so I left things as they were and I prayed to the Vampire Gods that Larten would be kept safe from harm...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 8: Another Tragedy**

 **Larten had been gone for a few weeks, I was really missing him. I got to sleep in Prince Mika's arms but it didn't feel the same, I seemed to fit perfectly into the contours of Larten's body, however when I lay down next to Prince Mika I just couldn't get comfortable no matter how hard I tried. I wasn't sleeping properly, I had no appetite and I was getting weaker. I was still feeding but that was it, I just wanted to be back in Larten's arms again, I was yearning for him and for his kiss.**

 **"Zara, you look terrible. Are you ill?" Seba asked me, I failed to meet him when I said I would and I had duties to do.**

 **"No Seba, I'm not ill. I'm just missing Larten a lot, I'm not sleeping properly, I have no appetite either and I want Larten to kiss me," I admitted, then I said, "I need him to hold me close to his body again."**

 **"Larten is doing what he can to prevent the War of the Scars, you do not want to go into battle again do you?" Seba queried.**

 **"No, I could not face taking part in another battle. The first one was bad enough," I answered, then I asked, "Could you contact Larten and tell him how much I'm missing him?"**

 **"I can search for his mental signal but I cannot give him a message as such, however if he knows that I am searching for him then he will understand that you are thinking about him through me." Seba answered.**

 **"I just want Larten to realise that he is always in my thoughts no matter how far apart we are," I explained to Seba, then I added, "I really do love him you know," after saying this I asked, "May I have your permission to accept him as my pledged mate with intent when the time comes?"**

 **"Of course, I would never deprive you of your right to pledge yourself to the one you love most," Seba remarked, then he said, "Larten also loves you, that much is clear to me."**

 **"We are intending to become Blessed Mates and then I will carry Larten's last name as my own with honour," I told Seba, then I added, "Becoming Larten's Blessed Mate will be the best moment of my life."**

 **"I will be there to celebrate with you and I will gladly hand you over into the care of Larten, I will no longer be your mentor but that does not matter. I have taught you everything I know so now you can fend for yourself, defend yourself and feed independantly," Seba explained to me, then he added, "I am proud of you and I am honoured to have taken you on as my assistant."**

 **"Thank you Seba, I do try to please you. I am sorry that I did not complete my duties this evening, please forgive me." I humbly apologised.**

 **"I forgive you Zara, take some time to rest and eat a decent meal then you will feel better." Seba instructed me.**

 **"Yes, I will do that. I'm hungry and tired." I acknowledged, then I headed down to the Hall of Khledon Lurt for something to eat and drink. When I got into the Hall of Khledon Lurt I went up and got myself something to eat, then I sat down at a table and filled up an empty mug with blood. I was due for a feed. I sat there eating and drinking, the hall was deserted but that didn't bother me. I was used to being on my own at this time of day, most of the Clan were still asleep because it was not quite sunset yet. I had been in the hall for quite a while, I finally finished my meal and then I got up to leave, as I did so I saw Seba and he was walking over to me. Behind Seba was Prince Mika and Vanez Blaine, I sat back down at the table and the three vampires joined me. All of them looked extremely sad and upset about something, Seba looked as though he'd been crying.**

 **"Seba, what's wrong?" I asked, "You look as though you've been crying."**

 **"Zara, I have some news for you. It is not good news I am afraid, I do not know how to tell you this but there was a major fight. The Vampaneze Lord revealed himself and then all hell broke loose, Prince Vancha, Prince Darren and Larten were all caught up in the heat of battle. Prince Vancha and Prince Darren were injured but they escaped with their lives," Seba explained to me, then his eyes filled up with tears. I handed Seba a handkerchief as his tears kept on flowing.**

 **"Zara, Larten has been killed. He was using a rope to try and swing across to a platform where the Vampaneze Lord was, the rope snapped and Larten fell into a pit of flaming stakes," Seba revealed to me, then he concluded by saying the immortal words, "Even in death may he be triumphant."**

 **"No that can't be true, it must be a lie that the Vampaneze are spreading to make us want to fight them." I declared, I refused to believe that Larten was dead.**

 **"Zara, I would not have told you if it was a lie. It has been confirmed, when I searched for the mental signal of Larten I could not locate him. Dead vampires do not give out mental waves. I have been sitting in my quarters trying to figure out how best to tell you this horrendous news, I know that hearing these words will bring you nothing but sorrow and despair. I cannot even begin to imagine how you must be feeling right now Zara, just a few hours ago you were talking about becoming pledged to Larten with intent," Seba remarked, then he continued, "I must now inform you that you are the widowed mate of Larten Crepsley, as you were not officially pledged to each other you are unable to take his last name as your own. You will however get to keep the personal items that belonged to Larten and his vast fortune will also be passed onto you. It is of little consolation but that is our law. If there is anything that we can do for you then please let us know, we will stand by you and help you through this tragic turn of events."**

 **I didn't say anything after Seba had finished speaking, I just buried my head into his chest and cried for what seemed like an eternity. Vanez and Prince Mika put their arms around me and so did Seba, they were all crying too.**

 **"What am I going to do now Seba?" I asked quietly between sobs.**

 **"You can remain here with us and we will look after you, I am your mentor so I will ensure that you have everything you need." Seba told me.**

 **"Thank you Seba, I hope that I am not too much of a burden for you." I remarked.**

 **"No, it is alright. I like having you around Zara, besides you need me now more than ever before." Seba informed me.**

 **"Yes Seba, that is true. You are my only link to Larten now. I wonder if he is watching over me from Paradise, he promised that he would always be with me after all." I stated, then I burst into tears again.**

 **"Larten is inside of your very soul, he will never leave you even if you can no longer see or hear him," Vanez said, then he added, "Larten is also in your heart Zara, never forget that fact."**

 **"I won't forget it Vanez, I just can't believe that I've lost two mates and two close friends of mine. Losing Kurda was bad enough but to lose Larten is more than I can bare, how am I expected to continue living when all I am feeling is loss and sorrow?" I asked.**

 **"You are strong Zara and you have still got us, we are not going anywhere." Seba reassured me.**

 **"I'll never get to feel Larten's hands on my body again, nor will I get to experience another one of his head spinning kisses. I can however look back on the last time that we mated and remember how special it was, he made me tremble and shake in ecstasy and then we just lay there for ages in his coffin, he had his arms around me and I could feel his warm body against mine," I revealed, before I reminsced, "When Larten took me to the platform that is built on top of a tree he opened up the panels on the roof, I looked through the gap in the roof and we were standing almost directly under the moon, I felt as though I could reach up and grab the stars themselves. I kissed Larten on that platform under the stars and it was the most romantic thing that we'd ever done. It was such a beautiful night and the perfect conditions for stargazing too, I will treasure the memories of that experience forever."**

 **"I'm sure you will always hold onto those memories dearly, nobody can take them away from you either," Vanez commented, then he said, "You are lucky that you have so many happy memories of your mateship to look back on."**

 **"I was not with Larten for very long but he was the kindest, most loving, generous and sweetest vampire I've ever had the privilege to meet, he treated me with great respect and we got along really well," I said to Vanez, then I added, "The bond we had was incredibly strong, I'll never have a bond that strong with anybody ever again, however at least Larten and Arra have been reunited now. I'm sure that both of them are watching over me, one night I shall join them in Paradise."**

 **"Yes, one night we will all join our fallen comrades in Paradise. That is of course if we lead good lives and gain good standing, Paradise is not open to cowards, traitors and those who are weak." Seba told us all.**

 **"I need to go and lie down, I am extremely tired and I'm hurting so badly. I'd give anything in the world to share one last kiss with Larten, I'm completely and utterly in love with him and he knew it too," I confessed, I then continued by saying, "I told Larten how I felt about him, after that Larten told me that he would pledge himself to me with intent when he returned from his journey."**

 **"Larten did ask for my consent and I gave it to him gladly, he told me that he loved you more than Malora, Larten also told me that he would have given his last breath to save your life. You two truly were meant to be together, it is a tragedy that Larten died way before his time," Seba acknowledged, then he stated, "Larten was not even two hundred years old, he still had plenty of life left in him. Larten lost his life in such a violent manner, I swear that I will avenge his death by killing every Vampaneze that I meet on or off the battlefield, they will pay for what they have done to you and to our Clan."**

 **"I am going to Larten's quarters, I need to sleep. I have been using one of Larten's cloaks as a blanket, it still smells of us and our love. Sleeping underneath Larten's cloak will make me feel close to him, I can wrap it around myself and it'll feel like he's holding me in his arms." I stated, then I stood up and the others stood up too.**

 **"Sire, will you join me?" I asked Prince Mika.**

 **"Yes, I gave Larten my word that I would hold you in my arms every day until he returned. Larten will never return to you because he was killed, in these circumstances I think that it is only right that you should continue to sleep in my arms." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"For always Sire?" I queried.**

 **"For as long as you need to Zara, I do not have a mate because Arra was killed in battle. I have not taken another mate because I am still grieving for Arra," Prince Mika replied, then he added, "I was only with Arra for a very short period of time, we were supposed to have a five year mateship term."**

 **"Larten and I were supposed to be together for twenty years initially, however we were going to become Blessed Mates so we would have made our mateship term permanent. I think that Larten and myself would have been together forever." I answered with a sad sigh as yet more tears ran down my already wet cheeks.**

 **"Likewise, I also believe that would have been the case." Seba nodded, then he handed me his own handkerchief and I wiped my eyes on it.**

 **"I miss Larten so much, why did it have to be him who was killed?" I asked Prince Mika when we were alone in Larten's former quarters, they were now my quarters.**

 **"I don't know, tragedies happen. I ask myself the same question about Arra all the time, I miss her very much. When we kissed it was like an explosion of passion and lust, it was so intense." Prince Mika told me as he got himself undressed, he took his robes off but he kept his T Shirt and boxer shorts on. I removed my clothing and then I put my pyjamas on, I had a chequered shirt and matching trousers that served as my pyjamas. I lay down in Larten's former coffin and I pulled his cloak over me, then I wrapped it around myself and Prince Mika put his arms around my body protectively.**

 **"Good day Sire, I hope that you'll sleep well." I said, then I yawned and settled down to sleep.**

 **"I also hope that you'll get some sleep Zara, you need it." Prince Mika replied, then he gently pulled me a bit closer to him and then we both drifted off into a troubled sleep. My sleep was interrupted by nightmares, I woke up in the middle of the day feeling really scared and vulnerable. Prince Mika held me even closer to him and that made me feel safe.**

 **"It's alright, you just had a nightmare but I'm here and nothing will hurt you." Prince Mika reassured me.**

 **"It was awful, the Vampaneze Lord and his servants raped me whilst Larten watched, he was tied up and chained so he couldn't rescue me, after that they stabbed me and tortured me. I screamed and then I woke up." I told Prince Mika.**

 **"That sounds like a really horrible nightmare to me Zara, do you get these kind of nightmares often?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"Yes, I often have nightmares about the Vampaneze Lord and his servants, if they aren't killing my friends and making me watch then I'm being raped or tortured by Vampaneze, I either wake up screaming or I wake up in a cold sweat Sire." I explained.**

 **"I know, I've been laying next to you. I can feel you tossing and turning, I don't get any sleep at all because of you having these recurring nightmares, it isn't your fault Zara. Your brain is trying to process the fact that Vampaneze have killed the one you love and now you're coming to terms with it, just as I have had to come to terms with Arra's death. I'm lucky that I don't have nightmares though." Prince Mika explained to me.**

 **"I used to dream about Kurda all the time, I'd see his pale, ghostly form looking hollow and sad as if a part of him was missing, now I have these awful nightmares and I hate them." I admitted.**

 **"Zara, I am sorry that you are having such a tough time. I am here for you though and I will not leave your side," Prince Mika said, then he made a suggestion that shocked me, "Perhaps you and I should become mates after you have grieved for Larten, it makes sense seeing as we sleep together every day anyway and it would be nice to share a kiss with you too."**

 **"Sire, I..." I began, not sure how to answer, then I gathered my thoughts and replied, "Sire, I would like that very much, however I must grieve and observe a suitable period of mourning for Larten first out of respect for him."**

 **"Zara, you may call me Mika if you wish to do so. When you have observed a suitable period of mourning for Larten we will discuss a mateship term, the length of the term should be around the same length that you would have had with Larten if he were still alive, it is only fair that you and I should finally put the tragedies of the past behind us and move on together. We have been through so much, please allow me to make you smile instead of crying. We both deserve to be happy Zara and you know its true." Prince Mika told me, then he moved the strand of hair that was covering my scar off of my face.**

 **"What you've just said does indeed make a lot of sense to me. I will consider it very carefully Mika," I replied, then I asked, "Do you really want to kiss me?"**

 **"Yes, very much so. Your lips look so soft, I just want to know what they feel like when they're pressed against mine." Prince Mika confessed.**

 **"You may kiss me Sire, you are after all a Vampire Prince and I cannot deny you such a simple request." I told Prince Mika, then he put his hand on my neck, leaned forward and kissed me. Prince Mika's kiss felt like Kurda's and Larten's combined, he was gentle like Kurda but he also made my body tingle and my head spin like Larten had done. The kiss lasted several minutes, it was like we needed each other. Pretty soon I found myself running my fingers through Prince Mika's long, black hair as we kissed, it was silky to the touch. When we broke off our kiss we just lay still and looked at each other.**

 **"That was awesome, I could get used to doing that," Prince Mika complimented me, then he said, "You are a great kisser Zara, Larten taught you well."**

 **"Likewise, I enjoyed it too and your hair is so soft that I loved running my fingers through it Mika." I replied, then I smiled for the first time in a long time.**

 **"I told you that I would make you smile, you should swap the tears on your cheeks for kisses from my lips, then we'll both be happy." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"Yes, maybe I should do that after I have mourned for Larten. I must honour his memory Sire, it is only right and proper, he was my mate after all." I reiterated.**

 **"I understand, however I would like to kiss you again Zara because your kisses are proving to be addictive." Prince Mika told me.**

 **"I know, by the way if we mate then wouldn't that make me become Madam Ver Leth?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, it would indeed. You would have all of your old privileges back that you enjoyed whilst you were Madam Smahlt, the only difference is that I won't be executed for treason. I'll also help you to gain the throne in your own right, me and you can rule side by side if you wish. You'll be our first ever Vampire Princess, all you have to do is accept me as your mate and I'll do the rest." Prince Mika informed me.**

 **"I'd like that, it is what Kurda wanted for me and Larten would be so proud of me if I were to gain my own throne. I accept you as my mate, I will become Madam Ver Leth and I will enjoy all of the perks that go with it too, however I will have to mourn for Larten first." I answered.**

 **"May I kiss you again so that we can seal our union?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"Yes, you may kiss me. I like it when you kiss me Mika," I acknowledged, then I added with a smile, "I will have to get used to being called Madam again and being accompanied by Guards wherever I go."**

 **"I almost forgot, I must give you my talisman as proof of our mateship agreement. Here you go, wear it with honour." Prince Mika said as he placed his talisman around my neck, I was still wearing Larten's talisman too. After doing this Prince Mika kissed me again, this time it was a kiss of desire and I found myself moaning softly into Prince Mika's mouth as our tongues met for the first time. We kissed for a long time, when we did break off our kiss we found ourselves removing the rest of our clothing, we wanted our warm bodies to make contact with each other whilst we kissed for a third time. I found myself laying down with Prince Mika on top of me, he was kissing me and touching my naked body with his hands. I moaned into Prince Mika's mouth even more when he touched me, I wanted him to know that I liked what he was doing.**

 **"If Seba knew about our antics he'd disapprove of them." I said to Mika between planting little kisses on his lips.**

 **"It doesn't matter, I'm a Prince and you're my mate so we can do as we please." Prince Mika replied before he returned my kisses with some of his own.**

 **"I don't want our mateship to become public until after I have mourned, I say this out of respect for Larten because I am still in love with him." I stated.**

 **"I understand completely, you can still enjoy some of your perks though Zara." Prince Mika told me.**

 **"When you kiss me it makes my deep sorrow slowly melt away." I confessed, then I moved forward slightly, closed my eyes and then I felt my lips making contact with Prince Mika's as he and I kissed, he touched my naked body and I touched him too as we explored each other's sensitive spots. I felt guilty at first but the sensations I received made it worthwhile, my breathing became harsher and more eratic as we kissed, Prince Mika was on top of me, our bodies were pressed together and he was in an ideal position to penetrate me, I moaned even more now because I was so stimulated, I needed to feel Prince Mika inside me so I adjusted my legs and then I kissed him with even more desire than I had done previously.**

 **"Please take my sorrow away," I pleaded, then I added, "You know what I want you to do."**

 **"Yes, I know very well what you are yearning for me to do to your body." Prince Mika answered as he kissed my neck.**

 **"Is it wrong to feel like this?" I asked.**

 **"No, it is normal. When you mate hormones and endorphins get released, they make you feel good about yourself even if you are extremely sad or depressed. Mating is an ideal way to recover from grief, lots of vampires mate when they feel sad or lonely. The sensations and ecstasy that vampires receive from mating helps them to get over their grief. I'm going to penetrate you now and then you'll feel better, just trust me." Prince Mika informed me, then he penetrated me slowly whilst kissing me and we then began to move in time with each other. I started to get really aroused, I let Prince Mika know how good he was too.**

 **"Please d..don't s..top now, it f...f..eels s...so good Mika, I'm ge...getting close." I said as I trembled and got nearer to reaching my climax.**

 **"I won't stop, I promise." Prince Mika told me, then he thrusted into me even deeper but he slowed down his movements so that I'd last longer when I did orgasm.**

 **"Ma...ke m..me co...come Mi..ka," I whispered, the sensations were so powerful that I could barely get my words out, "I..I.I w.. ..t t..to c..come." As I said these words Mika kissed me even more passionately and he linked his fingers with mine, then he went a bit faster and that made me moan even louder as he brought me closer to the edge.**

 **"Mi..ika" I uttered as Prince Mika continued to make me feel pleasurable sensations.**

 **"Let me hear you saying my name." Prince Mika whispered to me.**

 **"Mi..ka, o..hh Mii...ka." I moaned loudly as I finally orgasmed and then Prince Mika also climaxed, I could feel his fluids entering me as we became one entity.**

 **"How was that for you?" Prince Mika asked me when we'd finished mating and were laying next to each other resting.**

 **"It was perfect, I really loved it." I replied when I could speak normally again.**

 **"I could tell that you were having a good time, I liked hearing you say my name as you orgasmed. I'm glad that I was able to satisfy you." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"You did more than just satisfy me, you made me feel like I was in Paradise." I admitted.**

 **"We'll mate every day if you liked it that much, am I any good?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"You are rather good, however Larten used to make me scream when he made me orgasm. I would also experience more than one orgasm when me and him mated." I acknowledged.**

 **"Personally I prefer mates who can control themselves vocally. I wanted to bond with you Zara and that's what we did, making a lot of noise isn't necessary. I am able to tell when my mate is feeling sexual satisfaction, however excessive screaming hurts my ears. As for your other point I have the stamina that's required in order for us to achieve multiple orgasms, we just need to mate for longer so that we can make them last." Prince Mika revealed.**

 **"I feel better now than I did before, I needed to orgasm because I had been craving one for so long. Sometimes I just need to mate, you know?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, I know. I feel the same way as you do. We all have urges that we must satisfy," Prince Mika answered, then he added, "It is the vampire blood in our veins that gives us these strong urges to mate."**

 **"That is what Larten told me, I'd give anything to kiss him one final time because I miss him so," I told Prince Mika, then I remarked, "I may be your mate, however I'll always love Larten. I hope that you can understand and accept this Mika."**

 **"I understand how you feel, I am in the same position in regards to Arra. I wasn't with her for long but I loved her and she'll be in my heart for as long as I live," Prince Mika stated, then he said, "Larten is in your heart just as Arra is inside mine."**

 **"I agree, given time I will grow to love you Mika. I already have feelings for you because we've spent so much time together, the fact that we are mates also helps," I remarked, then I continued, "Mating with you felt wonderful, when we climaxed together I actually experienced something, it was as though our bodies and our souls really connected with each other."**

 **"I believe that is what took place between us also, when you said my name as we climaxed together I heard genuine sounds of ecstasy coming from you, I haven't listened to noises like that in a long time," Prince Mika informed me, then he went on to tell me, "Normally all I hear is harsh breathing or over the top screaming but not my name being said with such emotion behind it."**

 **"You said that you wanted to hear me saying your name, it was just good timing that we orgasmed together at that precise moment." I answered.**

 **"We climaxed together and our bond was forged, in other words our mateship has been consummated and it is now valid under vampire law. I always try to hit my peak at the same time as my mate, it feels better for her if she orgasms as I ejaculate because doing that makes her orgasm last longer," Prince Mika explained to me, then he informed me, "I could feel you moving in time with me as we climaxed, our two bodies became one and we were in perfect unison for a few minutes. It is this synchronisation which enables us to achieve orgasms at the same time."**

 **"I know that, Larten and I were in perfect harmony with one another. I'd orgasm a few seconds before he would and then I'd have another one just as he had his first one, the feelings from that were out of this world. It was mindblowing and I really did think that I was flying," I acknowledged, then I declared, "My connection to Larten was unbreakable and our love for each other was very deep. When we mated Larten was able to make it feel as though we were frozen in time, we would become lost in each other and then we'd climax together just like you and I did earlier."**

 **"It isn't hard to understand why you and he were going to become Blessed Mates, I saw how you acted around each other and your love for Larten was obvious. I noticed how you looked at each other, I also observed you drinking from the same mug several times. You may not have shown much public affection towards each other but you didn't need to, however I knew that you were holding hands under the table. I also saw how you said something to Larten, then he kissed you and you kissed him back. What did you say to him that made him kiss you publicly?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"I said to him that I wished that our lips could meet again." I answered honestly.**

 **"Is that all? Even Arra didn't get to kiss Larten in public, mind you they were hardly ever seen together because Larten was busy preparing to become a Prince, Arra on the other hand was almost always in the Halls of Sport," Prince Mika explained, then he told me, "I can only think of one occasion when Larten and Arra showed each other any form of public affection. Arra was on the Bars and she had just defeated all of the Princes one after the other, after the last duel was over Larten hopped up onto the Bars, Arra said something to him, he then said something in reply and after that he kissed her on the Bars infront of half the Clan. It wasn't a proper kiss either, I asked Arra what Larten said to her but she wouldn't tell me. Arra didn't like to talk about her former mates, I told her about mine but she refused to tell me any details," Prince Mika paused at this point, then he continued by saying, "The only thing that Arra told me was that Larten had been her first, however that is common knowledge. Both Larten and Arra tried to keep their business private, however they both had assistants at the time and those assistants liked to gossip about them. Gossip and news spreads fast around here whether it is true or not, it didn't help that they used to fight all the time. I am not talking about sparring matches either, I'm talking about full on arguements where they would shout and scream at each other over stupid stuff. Larten and you never faught and you didn't argue either."**

 **"No, we never argued and we didn't fight either. That is probably due to the fact that I am Seba's assistant, Larten knew that if he ever upset me then I'd complain to Seba about it. In doing so Seba would have defended me by putting his former assistant Larten in his place, Seba wouldn't stand to see any of his assistants being treated badly by their mates. He is very protective of his female assistants, he has always been like that," I remarked, then I added, "Seba was never afraid to tell Larten a few home truths so to speak, when Larten's actions were out of order then Seba made sure to tell Larten that he was being out of order."**

 **"I don't doubt it, Seba commands utmost respect from everybody and Larten was wild in his youth. He was into coffin hopping, gambling, drinking and causing fights, after he met Arra he changed completely, she managed to keep him grounded. Arra refused to mate with Larten until he proved himself to her and that is exactly what he did, however they still had a few blazing rows. Seba had to step in once or twice but apart from that they got on, the only thing that Arra didn't like was how overprotective Larten could be. Arra was a free spirit and she had a lot of male friends but Larten didn't like it, he wouldn't let her go hunting on her own either," Prince Mika revealed, then he proceeded to tell me, "I think what made Larten so protective over Arra was that he had worked really hard to win her heart, when Arra finally agreed to become Larten's mate he didn't want to lose her, as a result Larten made sure that nobody came between them. In the end it got too much for Arra because she couldn't cope with his level of control, for that reason she ended their mateship term for good and that was it. Both Larten and Arra remained friends but that was it, Arra moved on and she found a new mate, however Larten joined up with the Cirque Du Freak. Whilst Larten was there he had a fling with one of the performers but it wasn't serious, they were more like friends with benefits than actual mates or lovers. It was just casual but it worked for them. The arrangement was ended when Larten came here to attend the Vampire Council, then he met you and became your mate."**

 **"Now Larten is gone forever." I said sadly.**

 **"Larten may be gone but he'll never be forgotten, you have me now Zara. I swear that I will be a loving and loyal mate to you, I'll never be able to replace Larten but I will love you just as much as he loved you." Prince Mika reassured me.**

 **"I hope so, I can't take any more losses or heartbreaks. I've had enough of them to last me a lifetime, if I'm going to be living for the next few hundred years then I want them to be happy years," I remarked, then I told Prince Mika, "I yearn for adventure, I want to see the world before I have to take my seat as the Clan's first ever Vampire Princess."**

 **"The War of the Scars is raging, I am needed here Zara. My duty as a Vampire Prince must come first, I'm sorry." Prince Mika declared.**

 **"Will the war ever end?" I asked.**

 **"When the Lord of the Vampaneze and his servants are dead then the war will end, this war has already caused a lot of death and destruction." Prince Mika answered.**

 **"What if somebody were to go undercover, infiltrate the Vampaneze Lair and lay a trap that'd kill them all?" I suggested as a plan began to form in my mind.**

 **"That gives me an idea, Zara you are very clever and if my plan works then the Vampire Clan will be saved." Prince Mika responded.**

 **"Tell me what you've got in mind Mika." I stated, then Prince Mika smiled and he said, "Wait and see Zara, wait and see."...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 9: The Plan**

 **Two weeks had gone by since I had been given the dreadful news about Larten's death, I was mourning for him and a lot of the other vampires were too. We didn't have his remains because of how he had died, however I gave two of Larten's throwing knives to Vanez and he hung them up on the wall next to Arra's staff. Vampires would now go to this particular Hall of Sport so that they could leave tributes for their fallen comrades. It was more like a Hall of Memorials than a Hall of Sport now, I spent a lot of time in there looking at all of the tributes that had been left for Larten. I had never seen so many vampires visiting the same place before, a lot of them would bow their heads and then they'd make the death's touch symbol when they saw me out of respect. I was wearing a black dress, I had a black veil which I also wore because that was a symbol of widowhood amongst vampires, there hadn't been many widowed vampires in the past but I was now one of them.**

 **"Larten was one of our finest warriors, even in death may he be triumphant." Olaf said to me when he saw me.**

 **"Yes, Larten was one of the Clan's best lines of defence. He was called the Scourge of the Vampaneze and I'm not surprised either, after all he killed so many of them." I replied.**

 **"You have my condolences Madam, I hope that Larten's soul is now residing in Paradise." Olaf told me.**

 **"If any vampire deserves to rest in Vampire Paradise then it is Larten, one night I shall join him there but I have work to do and things to acomplish first." I acknowledged.**

 **"There are a lot of things in life that you need to experience first before you die Madam." Olaf remarked.**

 **"I agree with you, I am too young to die and I'm certainly not planning on dying any time soon." I concluded.**

 **"There you are Zara, I've been looking for you." Prince Mika informed me when he located me and Olaf in one of the tunnels.**

 **"I was looking for you too Sire, I got lost and Olaf found me. These tunnels all look the same, I get confused easily and in my current state mind I can't always think straight either." I replied to Prince Mika as he led me towards the Hall of Princes.**

 **"I've missed you Zara, however my plan to kill the Vampaneze is forming and soon I'll be able to reveal it to you." Prince Mika told me.**

 **"The tunnels are deserted," I stated, before asking Prince Mika the question, "May I kiss you?"**

 **"You may kiss me Zara but only for a few moments, I'd hate it if we were seen because we are both still in mourning." Prince Mika answered, then I kissed him and he kissed me back. These little illicit kisses could have landed us in a lot of trouble with the other Princes, fortunately for us we never got caught once. It wasn't illegal of course but it would be frowned upon, after all vampires are not supposed to enter into a new mateship agreement until a minimum of six months after the death of their mate. I had been widowed for two weeks, however I was already in a new secret mateship term with Prince Mika. We wouldn't make our term public until after the six month period of mourning had elapsed, we had to set a good example to the other Clan members after all.**

 **I had my arms around Prince Mika's neck and I stole a longer lasting kiss from his lips because I was feeling rebellious. Prince Mika returned my kiss with one of his own and our tongues mingled as we kissed. Prince Mika and I enjoyed sharing private moments like this together, we didn't get very many of them because we both had duties to do. Prince Mika was always working hard to keep the Clan in order, it wasn't an easy job because he had to decide upon suitable punishments for any vampires who had commited offences. Some of the offences were minor but others were serious, however I wasn't personally involved in any of the business that took place inside the Princes' Dome. When Prince Mika completed his tasks at the end of every evening he'd go and eat something at the High Table in the Hall of Khledon Lurt, sometimes we would share a conversation but it would be conducted formally so as not to raise any suspicions.**

 **I made my way down the tunnel until I reached the Hall of Khledon Lurt, I got something to eat and then I waited for Prince Mika to arrive. When Prince Mika turned up in the Hall of Khledon Lurt he was accompanied by Prince Arrow. The Princes called for some ale and food, however when Prince Mika saw me I was summoned by him. I approached the Princes' High Table and I bowed to both of the Princes as it was customary to do so.**

 **"Zara, have you met Prince Arrow?" Prince Mika asked me as he drank his ale.**

 **"No, I haven't met him in person Sire," I answered, then I added, "However we have passed each other in the tunnels before."**

 **"Zara, allow me to introduce you to Prince Arrow, he's one of the wisest vampires you'll ever meet," Prince Mika replied before he ripped some bread into chunks and ate them.**

 **"Sire, it is an honour to meet a Vampire Prince who has a good reputation for keeping order and passing fair judgements," I complimented Prince Arrow, then I remarked, "Please excuse me Sire, I am going to get myself a drink."**

 **"Here, you may share this with me," Prince Mika told me, then he filled up a clean goblet with wine, he sipped some and then he passed the goblet to me. I was a little bit surprised at Prince Mika's gesture but it was welcomed.**

 **"Thank you Sire, it is kind of you to share your wine with me," I remarked as I took a drink from Prince Mika's goblet.**

 **"You're welcome Zara, I know how loyal you are to us so I have no issues with sharing this goblet of wine with you. It is a reward from me for your loyalty towards our Clan." Prince Mika told me in his most official tone of voice, then he gave me a sly look that told me all I needed to know. I finished the wine, filled up the goblet again and handed it back to Prince Mika, he drank from it until it was empty. Prince Mika passed the empty goblet to one of the waiting vampire assistants, he had come to clear the table before the next course was served. The Princes always got more than one course served to them as part of their main meal, the Princes would get soup or a stew followed by a joint of roasted meat, after the meat they'd get a bowl that was filled up with nuts and wild fruits along with bread. The Princes also got plenty of ale and wine to drink, all the other Clan members got bat broth, ale or beer, bread and roasted meats plus whatever they killed and cooked or foraged for themselves.**

 **I didn't like bat broth at all, it made me feel sick whenever I smelt it and I never wanted to eat it either. I would usually help myself to roasted meat and bread, I'd gotten used to eating the same things all the time because there was nothing else to choose from, when I had been Larten's mate he had always provided food for me and he was a good cook. I never went hungry whilst I was Larten's mate, he would cook me something different for every meal that we shared. I was bored of eating the same limited menu that was on offer to me now, I decided to mention it to Prince Mika when we were alone in the hope that he would be able to sort something out for me. In the early hours of the morning I went outside for some fresh air, after all the sun would have no effect on me seeing as I was still only half blooded. The sun hadn't risen yet, however it was due to rise within the hour. I stood outside on top of a flat piece of ground as the fresh air blew, I had my long, black cloak on so I wasn't cold at all. The air in the halls was smokey because the fire pits had no proper chimneys, I found it hard to breathe sometimes whilst I was inside the halls so I'd always step outside for some clean air, I had a cough and the smoke made it worse. As a result of this I tried not to stay inside the halls for too long if I could help it, my quarters weren't smokey so I took to staying in them if my breathing was bad. I still coughed a lot though and my chest hurt.**

 **After the sun had risen I went back inside the mountain, I walked down one of the long tunnels until I reached the Medical Wing. I hoped that the Medics would have a herbal cough mixture which would help to soothe the pain in my chest, when I got to the Medical Wing one of the Medics came over and spoke to me.**

 **"What can I do for you?" the Medic asked me.**

 **"I have got a nasty cough and chest pains, I cannot breathe properly either," I answered, then I said, "I'm the widowed mate of Larten Crepsley."**

 **"I know that, I remember when you were known as Madam Smahlt. I would love to give you a private bay but seeing as you are no longer the mate of a Prince you aren't entitled to one, I'm sorry Zara," the Medic informed me, then he added, "I will see if there is a public medical bay available for you, we are quite full up at the moment and I'd like to keep you in here for observation."**

 **"OK, I understand. You are sworn to confidentiality aren't you?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, I am," the Medic answered, then he asked, "Why?"**

 **"I am entitled to a private bay actually because I happen to be Madam Ver Leth." I revealed as I flashed my talisman and showed it to the astonished Medic.**

 **"Very well, I'll do my best for you and I won't say a word either. You can trust me Madam, it is more than my job is worth to reveal your secret." the Medic told me, then he led me through the wooden door that led to the private medical bays. I got myself settled in, then the Medic went to get me some of the herbal remedy that was used to cure coughs. It tasted vile but it had a high success rate, I took the medicine regardless of its flavour and I could feel it beginning to work on my painful chest. I was also able to breathe slightly better, however I was still coughing and that was to be expected. The Medic came into my private medical bay to check on me, I was laying in the hammock that had been provided and I was trying to rest.**

 **"How are you feeling?" the Medic asked me as he listened to my breathing.**

 **"I feel fine, I just can't breathe properly." I answered honestly.**

 **"Your chest sounds really congested, I think you've picked up an infection and spending time in those smokey halls hasn't helped you at all," the Medic told me, then he remarked, "This herbal mixture will get rid of the cough, however it isn't any good for infections. I'll give you a new medicine for that but I will have to make it first."**

 **"I understand, I'll stay in here until I'm better. Please send somebody to fetch Prince Mika, he needs to know where I am and what's wrong with me. Knowing him he'll want to see me, he's very attentive." I responded, then I coughed up a load of phlegm.**

 **"I'll send one of my assistants to go and give him the message, I'd go myself but I have other patients to attend to so I'm needed here," the Medic informed me, then he said, "I'm sure that you can understand my position."**

 **"Yes, I understand perfectly. Where is the nearest water closet?" I asked.**

 **"Through that door and turn left Madam," the Medic remarked, then he stated, "That water closet is only for the use of the patients who are in the private medical bays."**

 **"Thanks for the information, I'll let you get on with your duties now." I concluded, then the Medic left so that he could get on with his work. I couldn't stop coughing, every time I coughed I felt like my lungs were trying to escape through my mouth. Vampires don't get ill very often, however they aren't completely immune to diseases or viruses. I had a chest infection caused by a lack of fresh air, also the halls were dusty and breathing in the dust didn't help either. I was still half human, this meant that I was affected more than the other Clan members were. I tried to relax because if I moved around too much then I'd start coughing again, every time I got out of breath I would start coughing up phlegm and that made it even harder for me to breathe. I believed that I was asthmatic but there was no treatment for asthma in the mountain. Inhalors and the like weren't available, if I was asthmatic then I'd always have trouble breathing and the smokey atmosphere really wouldn't help me either. I figured that being a vampire would prevent such things but even vampire blood had its limitations.**

 **I was bored out of my brains, I was laying in my hammock and then an idea came to me. I suddenly got the urge to touch myself intimately, seeing as there was nobody else around at this time of day I didn't think that anybody would walk in on me. I had cut my nails right down because they kept getting caught on my clothing and ripping it, I would still be careful not to scratch myself though. I was wearing a dress which made things easier, it gave me access to my sensitive areas and I had my cloak draped over my body like a blanket. It would be harder to see what I was doing because my hand would be underneath the cloak. I opened my legs and I pulled my dress up a bit higher so that I could remove my pants, it would be easier to stimulate myself if my pants weren't getting in the way of the places I that would be touching. When I felt comfortable and in the right position I slowly began to touch the inside of my leg, I wanted to work my way up my leg until my fingers were in the right area of my body. I was aiming to rub my clitoris with my fingers until it became erect, I'd make sure that I was really wet and stimulated first and then I'd continue to rub my clitoris until I had a clitoral orgasm. I traced my fingers along the inside of my left thigh until I reached my private area, I slowly put my fingers inside myself to make them lubricated and then I began to rub my clitoris up and down, I imagined that I had Larten there with me and that he was licking me out as I rubbed myself. I began to get really stimulated and tingly, I was finding it hard to keep quiet and I let out a couple of little sexual noises as I got closer to my peak, I continued to play with myself until I orgasmed and when I did orgasm it made me shake and writhe around, I made a bit more noise during my orgasm but that couldn't be helped. I could feel Larten's energy surging through me as I had the orgasm, I even said his name a couple of times whilst I was orgasming. I missed Larten so deeply, however masturbating and imagining that he was satisfying me was the next best thing. I was shaking and moaning quietly throughout my orgasm, it lasted for a couple of minutes which was great and after it was over I felt satisfied. I felt like Larten was right next to me, his warmth was all around me and I know that sounds stupid but it is the truth. When I had finished masturbating I put my pants back on, I wiped myself down below with a damp cloth and then I lay back in my hammock as if nothing had happened. About half an hour after I had masturbated Prince Mika came to see me, he kissed me and he sat next to my hammock in a chair.**

 **"I'm sorry that I didn't arrive sooner, I was held up in the Princes' Dome but I'm here now," Prince Mika apologised, then he said with a knowing look, "I can smell what you've been up to by the way."**

 **"I had an urge, I couldn't help myself and you weren't here to assist me either," I stated, then I added, "I'm OK now, I sorted it out for myself."**

 **"I am here now, I can assist you if you get another urge." Prince Mika replied.**

 **"I'd love it if you went down on me, I love it so much." I admitted openly.**

 **"I can do that for you, I did tell the Medic on duty not to disturb us just in case." Prince Mika stated, then he helped me to get into an ideal position so that he could go down on me. I removed my pants and I lifted my dress up once again, then I covered myself over with both of our cloaks which were acting like blankets. Prince Mika kissed me so that our tongues would interact because that always turned me on, then he worked his way down my body until he had his head in the right place to stimulate me, Prince Mika began to lick me out, he held onto my hips because I was writhing around in ecstasy and then I orgasmed. As I orgasmed I gripped onto the hammock material because I was shaking so much. I made quite a bit of noise but that was due to the fact that the orgasm I received was a powerful one, it was way better than the one I had given to myself by masturbating and this one lasted too. I was in a state of orgasmic euphoria for quite a while.**

 **"Mii...ka, I..I...I l..ove y...you," I managed to whisper during my orgasm, then I shakily said, "Pl..ease d.. 't s.. n...n..ow, I..I'm en..jo...joy..in.g i...it t...too mm..much." Prince Mika continued to lick me out until I had yet another orgasm, I didn't know that it was possible to climax more than once from oral sex but obviously it was because I was doing just that. When this orgasm hit me I lost all control of myself and I let Prince Mika hear exactly how good he was at going down on me.**

 **When Prince Mika finally stopped licking me out it took me quite a while to recover from it, I lay in my hammock for ages. I was resting whilst my body returned to normal. I also cleaned myself up because some of my own natural fluid had been produced, I wiped it away by using a damp cloth. I had to do the same thing after I had masturbated as well.**

 **"Thank you Mika for satisfying me," I whispered in Prince Mika's ear, then I said, "I would kiss you but you'll taste of me now."**

 **"Don't you want to know what you taste like?" Prince Mika asked me, his eyebrows were raised.**

 **"Not from down there no, that's where my pee comes out." I stated.**

 **"Actually, your clitoris is not quite in the same place as where you pee. If it makes you happy however then I'll go and clean my teeth or something." Prince Mika suggested to me.**

 **"I'm just being hygienic, there is nothing wrong with that." I stated.**

 **"That is a good point." Prince Mika declared with a nod, then he vanished and I was alone once again. I turned over onto my side, curled up into a little ball and closed my eyes.**

 **"Zara, are you awake?" I heard Prince Mika's familiar voice ask me. I yawned and turned around to face my mate.**

 **"Yes, I'm awake. I am however very tired." I replied sleepily.**

 **"I won't keep you awake if you're tired, I just wanted to check on you." Prince Mika told me.**

 **"My chest is really sore, breathing is painful for me to do and I'm tired because of you," I answered, I breathed in and out as best as I could and then I complained, "I'm exhausted and in a fair amount of pain."**

 **"You won't be up for kissing me then, will you?" Prince Mika asked me, he seemed to be disappointed.**

 **"I'm sorry, I just can't face it. I'm in no shape for it because I can't breathe properly, maybe when I've healed a little bit I'll be able to kiss you again." I answered sadly.**

 **"Can we not even share one kiss? It doesn't have to be very deep or energetic." Prince Mika queried, he sounded as if he was pleading with me to kiss him.**

 **"I guess that one kiss won't hurt." I relented, Prince Mika then leaned closer to me and my lips brushed against his lightly. I reached out and I placed my hand on his neck as we kissed. It was gentle and not too intense. I ran my fingers through Prince Mika's long hair, after a few more moments the kiss concluded and we broke away from each other. Even after we had stopped kissing my lips were still just centimetres away from Prince Mika's. We talked about all kinds of things, I whispered because my throat was hurting. It hurt because of my constant coughing, Prince Mika was sat on a chair next to my hammock and he was facing me, I reached out to Prince Mika and I played with his hair by letting it glide through the gaps between my fingers.**

 **"What is it about you and my hair?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"I just love the feel of it flowing through my fingers, it is so long and silky to touch. I used to run my hands through Kurda's hair all the time, especially when we kissed," I explained, then I added, "It makes me feel closer to you, also whenever I go to touch your hair haven't you noticed how close my lips get to yours?"**

 **"No, I hadn't even noticed that. I feel like an idiot now, I could have stolen so many kisses from your lips but I didn't even steal one." Prince Mika sighed, he seemed to be really disappointed in himself.**

 **"Don't be too disappointed in yourself Mika," I remarked, then I said, "You can have as many kisses from me as you like, you don't need to steal them."**

 **"I'll settle for just one more kiss and then I'll let you go to sleep." Prince Mika conceded.**

 **"Just one? Are you sure?" I asked teasingly.**

 **"I'd like more than one I'll admit, but you need your rest, also you've raised a good point about your breathing problems." Prince Mika acknowledged.**

 **"I'm very tired, I'll kiss you twice more and then I'm going to sleep. I don't know how I'm supposed to lie in your arms though seeing as I'm in this narrow hammock." I remarked.**

 **"I hadn't figured that out either, I was trying to come up a solution, alas I have none as of yet," Prince Mika answered, then he added, "At least we are here together, I'm not going anywhere for the time being either. You need me and I will stand by you."**

 **"Well technically you are sitting by me," I laughed, then I started coughing again, "Laughing was not such a good idea," I spluttered between coughs.**

 **"Your cough sounds really bad, you need proper medicine and not this herbal junk that they use here, herbal stuff is not as effective, you need medicine from a chemist. We have only a limited supply of plants here and most of them have no healing properties at all, they are nothing more than placebos," Prince Mika admitted to me, then he offered, "There is a human town about two hundred kilometres from here, as I'm a Vampire Prince I could technically flit there and flit back again. I know that there is a shop which sells medical supplies, maybe they'll sell something that'll cure your cough and your chest."**

 **"Perhaps, maybe there'll be a doctor there who can prescribe me the medication I need, for surely I cannot go on like this for much longer." I replied.**

 **"It is a long way to go, I cannot go in the daytime and most shops are not open in the evening. Perhaps I could use my cloak to shield me from the worst of the sunlight, I'd burn but I'd live." Prince Mika stated by way of a suggestion.**

 **"Either that or you could buy some factor fifty sun lotion, put that onto your exposed skin and it'll stop you from burning. You can buy it in the same place as the medicines normally." I revealed.**

 **"I never knew that, I'll certainly ask about sun lotion when I get to the shop. I'll buy some, use it and then I'll flit back here with your medicine. If I go now then the sun won't be so strong, it must be the very early hours of the morning by now, I'll return as soon as I can Zara, I promise." Prince Mika reassured me, I pulled Prince Mika closer to me and I kissed him, he kissed me back playfully and then he vanished in a blur of blue. I was alone once again and I was also thirsty, I got up out of my hammock and opened the door that led from the private medical bays to the main Medical Wing, I went to find somebody who could fetch me a drink and a pillow because my hammock was not that comfortable to be honest. I was wondering around the Medical Wing looking for a Medic, one of the assistant Medics who was on duty saw me and she approached me.**

 **"You're Jenna aren't you?" I asked the assistant Medic.**

 **"Yes, can I help you?" Jenna enquired, she was dressed in black but she had a white apron on, at least it looked like an apron.**

 **"I'd very much like a drink please, I've found that cold drinks soothe my throat and my chest." I answered.**

 **"I'll go and get you one, what would you like?" Jenna queried.**

 **"I'd like some fresh milk please, failing that a jug of red wine will be fine and I'd also like a pillow because that hammock is uncomfortable," I responded before asking, "I'm also quite alone in that room, I want some company so could you go and fetch Vanez, Seba or Olaf for me?" Finally I said, "Seba is my mentor. Vanez and Olaf are the only friends that I have left now except for the Princes, however they aren't my friends as such apart from Prince Darren and Prince Mika."**

 **"I know that you have lost two mates and two close friends, that is a lot of loss for one person to suffer. Even in death may Larten, Gavner and Arra all be triumphant," Jenna said, then she performed the death's touch symbol before saying, "Vanez is my mate, however I had no idea that he is also a friend of yours. Vanez is very loyal and he is a good friend to all who seek his friendship."**

 **"I know, Vanez told me that he would be there for me. Seba, Vanez and Prince Mika all put their arms around me when Seba told me the news about Larten. We sat together for ages and cried, it was awful." I told Jenna.**

 **"When I heard the news about Larten I changed into black clothing, I also placed some wild flowers down underneath the Bars. I wanted to pay my respects, Larten was after all a good friend to my mate. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, during the Festival of the Undead I danced with him a couple of times, I was quite honoured when Larten asked me to dance because I hadn't been expecting it at all." Jenna revealed to me.**

 **"Larten had an eye for the ladies I'll grant you, however he was very loyal and faithful to his mates," I informed Jenna, then I continued by saying, "I trusted Larten completely and he never let me down, I miss him very much and I always will do. Myself and Larten were actually going to become pledged to each other with intent, however Larten was killed before he and I could make our pledged mateship official." I paused at this point because a few tears dripped from my eyes, then I concluded, "If I could be granted one wish I'd wish for Larten to hold me in his arms just once more, I loved how he'd always hold me close to him and then we'd share one last kiss. Alas my wish can never be granted, however in my dreams we are re-united and I know that Larten will always be with me in my heart and soul."**

 **"Yes, Larten will always be in your heart and you'll never forget him either. Perhaps in time you will find a new mate and fall in love with him, however you should rest, heal and mourn for your losses first." Jenna advised me, then she left to go and get the drink and the pillow that I had requested. I went back to my hammock and rested, my chest was still hurting really badly. I was waiting for Jenna to return with my drink and pillow, I hoped that Prince Mika wouldn't be away for long either because I needed medicine and I missed him too. Jenna came back pretty soon after I had returned to my hammock, she had brought me a jug of fresh milk and a goblet to drink it from. I hadn't been expecting Jenna to bring me a goblet, I figured that I'd get a mug or a tankard to use instead. Jenna also gave me a really soft pillow to use, it looked as though it'd come out of a decent coffin.**

 **"Thank you Jenna," I said, "This pillow is ideal and the milk is really refreshing." I concluded as I poured myself a second helping of milk and drank it.**

 **"I'm glad that I could be of service to you, by the way I know about your little secret. I brought you a goblet because the mugs and tankards aren't good enough, somebody who is in your position should have Guards and at least one assistant. I understand that you are trying to keep your new union secret until your period of mourning is over, I knew that something was up when Prince Mika came to see you. The Princes hardly ever visit Clan members who are in the Medical Wing, the only time that the Princes visit is if their assistants or mates are in here," Jenna stated, then she told me, "I know that you are Seba's assistant so I eliminated the option of you being Prince Mika's assistant. I also saw that you and Prince Mika were much closer to each other than the Princes normally get to Clan members. I noticed how Prince Mika pulled his chair closer to your hammock and then I observed you playing with his hair, that is when I knew about you and him being mates," Jenna paused for a moment, then she added, "The door that leads to these private bays has an observation window and we don't usually use it, however I heard you coughing a lot. I decided to check on you just in case you required urgent medical assistance. When I looked through the observation window I noticed that Prince Mika and yourself were sharing an intimate moment together, this was when I figured out that Prince Mika is in fact your mate."**

 **"Yes, Prince Mika is my mate. I'm wearing his talisman." I confirmed, then I showed Jenna the talisman in question. I was also wearing the talisman that Larten had given me, I didn't have the heart to remove it. By continuing to wear Larten's talisman I felt like a part of him was always with me, also the talisman was right next to my heart because the chain that it hung on was quite long.**

 **"You are very lucky to be the mate of a Prince, I hope that your mateship term will be a successful one and that you'll both be happy together. If anybody deserves a happy ending so to speak then it is you," Jenna acknowledged, then she said, "I must go and get on with my other duties, by the way Seba will come and visit you and so will Vanez. I've already spoken with them."**

 **"I understand and thanks again for your help, I appreciate it. Right now though I'm going to try and get some sleep, it is the middle of the day after all." I concluded, then Jenna left and I finally went to sleep...**

 **I must have slept for ages but I wasn't sure exactly how long I'd been sleeping. I went to sit up in my hammock and as I did so I noticed that Prince Mika was back, he was sitting on the chair that was beside my hammock. I smiled when I saw him and then I yawned, I noticed that Prince Mika had a paper bag with him too. I figured that the paper bag contained my medicine which I was glad about. I sat up and reached out my hand to Prince Mika, he linked his fingers with mine and then I leaned forward so that I could kiss him which I did. It was a long lasting kiss too, for we had been parted for what seemed like an eternity.**

 **"I've missed you." I said quietly in Prince Mika's ear before I planted another couple of soft kisses on his lips, I had hated being away from the one I loved for so long.**

 **"Believe me when I tell you that I've also missed you, I managed to buy some decent medicine and it should make you feel much better," Prince Mika told me, then he added, "You should take some straight away so that you can start your recovery."**

 **"Alright, I'll do that now." I said, then Prince Mika handed me the bag that contained the medicine, I read the instructions on the packet and then I measured the correct dose by using the measuring cup that was provided. I swallowed the concoction and it tasted like cherries, after I had taken the cough syrup I took two of the antibiotic tablets that would clear up my lung infection and finally I used the inhalor that I had also been given. The inhalor would open my airways so that I could breathe better, it was a strong steroid that had been created for asthmatics.**

 **"Thank you for getting this medicine for me, I do hope that it wasn't too expensive," I said humbly.**

 **"I bought you the best quality medicine that I could find in the shop. It wasn't cheap but you needed it so I didn't mind paying top dollar for it. I also took your advice and purchased some sun lotion as well as three large first aid kits. These first aid kits contain the necessary items that will treat all manner of injuries and burns too, they looked like highly useful tools to have around so I bought one for the Princes' Dome, one for the Medical Wing and one for our quarters," Prince Mika told me.**

 **"That was a very smart thing to do," I applauded Prince Mika.**

 **"I thought as much," Prince Mika agreed, then he said, "You never know when a Clan member might run into trouble and get hurt, having these first aid kits will make treating minor injuries much easier."**

 **"Well that is what they are used for, not that I wish any of us to get injured of course," I reiterated.**

 **"I don't want that either. As a Prince I have a duty to protect those who I rule over, the vast majority of us want to live in peace and end this pointless war with the Vampaneze. This is why the plan I have is so vital to the survival of our race, if it works then the Vampaneze will be destroyed and the war will be over," Prince Mika replied.**

 **"Are you going to tell me what your plan is?" I asked.**

 **"I will tell you when you have recovered, you have a part to play in it," Prince Mika revealed.**

 **"Me? What can I possibly have to do with this plan of yours?" I asked, worried.**

 **"Your job will be to get the Vampaneze to feel sorry for you because of who you used to be, they have to trust you or the plan won't work," Prince Mika informed me, then he added, "You may have to fight with vampires and hurt them in order to persuade the Vampaneze that you are on their side,"**

 **"I see, it sounds like I'm going to become a double agent Mika. I feel like James Bond now," I smirked, then I said, "It is just a shame that I won't have a gun with me."**

 **"You'll be given concealed daggers instead," Prince Mika told me, then he added, "I'll make sure that they have really strong blades and I won't let anything happen to you. I need time to organsise this plan before we put it into action, certain things must be in place before we go ahead and attempt it."**

 **"I understand, the best thing that I can do is lie here and heal. I'll need all of my strength and cunning if we are going to pull off this plan of ours," I remarked, then I yawned and said, "I'm hungry Mika."**

 **"What do you want to eat?" Prince Mika asked me.**

 **"I'd like some warm milk followed by a bowl of fruit and nuts, fruit and nuts are good for energy." I answered.**

 **"Very well, I'll get somebody to send your order down to the kitchen and deliver your food to you," Prince Mika replied, then he added, "Please don't be mad with me for doing this but I have got a surprise for you."**

 **"A surprise for me? What is it?" I asked with an excited squeal.**

 **"I've bought you a pet, I know that Larten promised you a snake however I thought you might like something fluffy instead," Prince Mika replied, then he handed me a small, fluffy puppy.**

 **"Aww it is so cute, thank you. What breed is it?" I asked as I stroked my new pet.**

 **"It is a hybrid, he is a cross between a wolf and an Alaskan Malamute and when he grows up he'll be rather large. At the moment though he's just a little bundle of fluff," Prince Mika told me, then he asked, "D'you like him?"**

 **"Oh Mika, I absolutely adore him. He's gorgeous and so damn fluffy, he is all fluff and no substance." I laughed as I held the puppy close to my chest.**

 **"Believe me, he'll be a handful when he's bigger but we'll cope. He will be great as a hunting dog and he will bond well with the wolves that are in the area too." Prince Mika remarked.**

 **"What are we going to call him?" I asked as I thought about a name for him.**

 **"Bandit?" Prince Mika suggested.**

 **"That's cool, although the black patch on his back looks like an oil spillage so we could call him Diesel." I replied.**

 **"Yeah that suits him, Diesel it is." Prince Mika nodded in agreement.**

 **"You are very kind to buy me a pet, I wasn't expecting one so it has brought some happiness into my life, I have a responsibility now and I feel like a mother, I'm the mother of a furry baby." I smiled, then I stroked Diesel some more and he licked my hand.**

 **"I told you that I'd make you smile, I also know how much you wanted to be a mother and now you are one, or at least you're a care provider for a living creature who needs you to love him and feed him, walk him and teach him." Prince Mika commented, then he kissed me and I kissed him back, I felt safe for the first time in a long time and I felt loved too. We kissed for a while, it was a playful, teasing kiss that made both of us want more but we controlled our urges.**

 **"I love it when you kiss me Mika," I said, "You're so good at it too." I then added by way of a compliment.**

 **"Am I better than Kurda or Larten?" Prince Mika asked me directly.**

 **"Kissing you is like taking their best bits and combining them together. When you kiss me you are sweet and gentle like Kurda, however you can also be playful and quite lustful like Larten was when he kissed me." I answered honestly.**

 **"I know how much you miss Larten, I'll care for you in the same way that he cared for you. I sometimes think that Larten knew he wasn't coming back from his journey, he was also well aware of the fact that if we shared a coffin together then we'd form a bond with each other. I believe that Larten handed you over to me without telling you what he was doing, it is common practice for vampires to hand their mates over to new mates before they go into battle. Vampires also tend to hand their assistants over to new mentors for the same reasons, they have a duty of care towards them and no vampire would leave his or her assistant alone in the mountain without a mentor. No vampire would leave their mate unprotected either, at least not if they genuinely loved them." Prince Mika revealed.**

 **"So you are telling me that Larten wanted us to be together if anything happened to him?" I queried, I did not know what to make of the whole situation.**

 **"Not in so many words Zara, however Larten wanted to make sure that if he wasn't around then somebody else would be. Larten knew that I had feelings for you, he respected me as a Prince and he trusted me to do the right thing by you," Prince Mika explained, then he remarked, "Larten wasn't planning on dying, however he wanted to ensure that if he did die then at least you would be alright. Larten knew how much pain you'd already gone through, because of this he tried to make the last few nights before he left extra special ones. Larten knew that if he did die during his journey then at least you'd have some memories of him that you'd never forget."**

 **"I understand, when I found out that Larten had died I was heartbroken. I felt like my whole world had come crashing down around me, like I said I'd sacrifice just about anything to spend one more night with him because I love Larten that much. Larten is in my dreams, he's my last thought when I go to sleep and he's the first vampire I think about when I wake up. I'm sorry Mika, I just can't stop thinking about him." I apologised.**

 **"You don't have to stop thinking about Larten if you don't want to, I know how much he meant to you. I also know that if Larten is indeed watching over you now then he'd want you to remember him, however he wouldn't want you to spend the next however many centuries mourning for him feeling depressed and sad." Prince Mika stated, then he held me in his arms and we looked into each other's eyes. Diesel had curled up on my lap and he had fallen asleep, I had my legs dangling over the edge of my hammock but my hands were lightly holding onto Prince Mika's cloak, I was holding onto the top part where the fastening was located. I playfully pulled him closer to me and our lips met once again, this kiss almost had a feeling of urgency to it, it was as though at that moment we needed each other. We kissed for ages, it was passionate and we held onto each other as if we never wanted to let the other go.**

 **"I love you," I said quietly in Prince Mika's ear, my voice was croaky and I sounded as though I'd swallowed a frog. After I said this I kissed Prince Mika's cheek, then I whispered, "I only hope that you can love me as much as Larten loved me in return."**

 **"Zara, I love you more than anything," Prince Mika told me, then he added, "I'll prove it to you. By daily proof you shall find me to be both loving and kind." Prince Mika then took my hands in his, leaned forward and kissed me gently.**

 **"Mika, you are so sweet. I truly am honoured to be your mate," I replied, then I said, "Thank you for everything that you've done for me."**

 **"You're more than welcome, I fell for you almost as soon as I met you. I couldn't stop thinking about you either, I knew that you were Kurda's pledged mate so I kept my distance. As a Vampire Prince it would not have served me very well if I had acted in an inappropriate way towards you," Prince Mika told me, then he said, "Now that you actually are my mate and you have my talisman around my neck I can treat you accordingly, I had always planned to tell you how I felt but the right occasion never presented itself. When you entered into a mateship agreement with Larten I was told that you had discussed becoming pledged to him, I felt like I should have died at that moment because I wanted you as my mate, however I saw how happy Larten made you. I could also tell how elated you were when you and he were together," Prince Mika paused for a moment then he concluded the conversation by telling me, "When Larten asked me if I'd be willing to hold you in my arms during the day whilst he was away and you were sleeping I agreed. Despite your sorrow over Larten's death I felt like I had to show you exactly how much I loved you, when we shared our first kiss I put all of my heart into it. When we mated afterwards it was one of the most amazing experiences that I've ever been a part of. When I penetrated you I heard a little pleasurable gasp escaping from your mouth, hearing that sound just made me want to mate with you even more."**

 **"Mika, when you first went inside of me it was like being on the outskirts of Paradise, I gasped because of the sensation it gave me. Larten took me way beyond that point as you know, however you still helped to get rid of the deep sorrow that I was feeling at the time." I acknowledged.**

 **"I told you that you'd feel better didn't I?" Prince Mika remarked.**

 **"Yes, you did tell me that and you were right. It is not as though I have forgotten Larten at all, however my love for you is growing stronger," I admitted, then I acknowledged, "When we mate I see things in my mind, I picture myself, you and our future as mates together. I envisage myself wearing a little coronet, I have got my own throne and you are right beside me helping myself and the other Princes to rule our Clan."**

 **"That will happen eventually, however you just have to be patient my love. We must wipe out the Vampaneze first, that is the biggest task that we as a Clan have to succeed in pulling off. After the Vampaneze have been destroyed the War of the Scars will be over, we shall finally have peace and you will rule alongside us as our first ever Vampire Princess."**

 **"I understand, I hope that your plan works. I'm still curious as to what it is though." I responded.**

 **"When I have finalised the plans I will let you know about them, I may not even be able to put my plans into action because I'll need the approval of the other Princes first. Seeing as two of the Princes are fighting in the War of the Scars, Prince Paris is getting on in years and I am here looking after you the plans have been temporarily put on hold." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"I think that is a wise idea," I said in approval, then I croaked, "I'm feeling a bit better now, however my throat is sore and my chest is still hurting. At least the medicine is beginning to work, I can breathe better now than I could before."**

 **"I'm glad to hear it." Prince Mika remarked.**

 **"I just want to snuggle up with you." I whispered to Prince Mika just before Jenna entered the private medical bay that I was staying in. I kissed prince Mika infront of Jenna, however I didn't know that she was there when I did so.**

 **"Ahem," Jenna coughed, I pulled away from Prince Mika and blushed profusely when I realised that she'd seen us kissing.**

 **"That was great timing," I complained, "Gees, don't vampires knock before entering a room?" I asked sarcastically.**

 **"I'm sorry," Jenna apologised, then she said, "I only came to ask you how you're feeling. I need to listen to your chest as well, the Medic has you in here under observation after all."**

 **"That's fine," I replied, I was still blushing and my cheeks were burning. "I do hope that you will knock in future, what I do with my mate we are alone together should be kept private after all." I concluded.**

 **"Yes, I promise to knock in future. Your chest is sounding very congested still, yet your breathing sounds a bit better. You'll have to remain here until your chest sounds clear, it is for your own benefit. We don't allow pets in here either." Jenna told me as she looked at Diesel who was still sleeping on my lap.**

 **"I didn't know that pets weren't allowed in here, my mate bought Diesel for me as a gift," I explained, then I added, "Considering who I am and who my mate is perhaps you could make an exception to the no pets rule."**

 **"If that is your order Sire then I shall obey it, however I cannot take instructions from your mate because your mateship is not formal as of yet." Jenna remarked pompously.**

 **"You will do whatever my mate tells you to do and you will permit her to keep her pet, you will treat her as if she were my Blessed Mate and that is an order. I also wish to remind you that you must refer to my mate as Madam Ver leth and you forgot to bow to us as well, in future you will remember to show us sufficient respect and that too is an order." Prince Mika declared officially in his most formal tone of voice. After Prince Mika had spoken nobody said anything for a while, Jenna just stood there looking worried and she had a look of genuine fear in her eyes. I don't think that anybody had spoken to her like that before, Vanez certainly wouldn't talk to anyone in the way that Prince Mika had just spoken to Jenna.**

 **"Mika, that was a bit harsh," I commented, then I asked, "Can't you how scared Jenna is?"**

 **"As a Prince I must point out the shortcomings of others, especially when it comes to a lack of showing respect for those who are of a higher rank," Prince Mika replied, then he added, "I'm one of the fairer Princes, had another Prince been in here then he would have been much harsher and he may even have punished you for not bowing to us. I however do not believe in punishments for those things which I deem to be minor infringements, consider yourself lucky Jenna."**

 **"Sire, I..I c...can only apolog..gise for my genuine mi...istake," Jenna said, she was shaking. Jenna took a moment or two to compose herself and then she spoke again, it sounded as though she was pleading, "I did not intend to forget to bow to you I just have a lot on my mind right now, I have quite a few patients to attend to, a lot of medicines to dish out and a lot of jobs to do. I hope that you can forgive me for my rare lack of showing respect towards yourself and your mate."**

 **"This is your first offence and I believe it to be a bonafide error rather than a deliberate act of disrespect on your part, I've decided that I'll let it slide this time, however in future you must be more aware of who you are dealing with in here," Prince Mika announced, then he reiterated, "I will not tolerate any disrespect, neither will I stand for a lack of showing respect to those who should have respect shown towards them."**

 **"Sire, not bowing to you was a genuine mistake on my part and I feel very thankful that you have decided not to punish me. Seeing you kissing your mate made my brain go blank, I wasn't expecting to see something like this after all. It made me feel a twinge of jealousy because I'll never be good enough to become the mate of a Prince, I do however have my name down on the waiting list. I understand that to minimise fighting between the vampiresses every vampiress is given the chance to mate with a Vampire Prince, I've had my name down for nearly half a century now and my turn still hasn't come yet. Luckily I have Vanez and he loves me very much, however I'd still like to have a mateship agreement with a Prince at some point. Am I not worthy or something Sire?" Jenna asked Prince Mika directly, she looked sad.**

 **"Your time will come Jenna, I'll check the list and find out which of the Princes will soon be available to take a new mate. You will have to complete your current term with Vanez first, that is one of the rules. All of the vampiresses would end their mateship agreements early to be with a Vampire Prince otherwise, doing this isn't fair on their current mates. We have to make it fair for everyone after all, that includes the guys as well as the girls." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"That makes sense, I'm glad that the Princes have considered every Clan member and not just themselves in matters such as this." Jenna remarked, she seemed to approve of the Princes' decisions in relation to the matter of mating.**

 **"I agree, if I were not already the mate of a Prince then I would have put my name on the list. Even if Larten were still with us I would still have my name down on the list, just in case that it didn't work out between Larten and myself. I miss him so much, it is almost unbareable Mika." I confessed.**

 **"I know you do Zara, I can see it in your eyes. Every time that somebody mentions Larten's name you get all emotional, I don't blame you for that either, it is a natural reaction." Prince Mika responded as he handed me his handkerchief, I wiped my eyes on it and then I handed it back to him.**

 **"I'm sorry, I don't mean to get so emotional, I can't help it because I've lost the one who I loved with every fibre of my being. I love you of course but not in the same way, the love I shared with Larten was not something that I can describe. It was powerful and deep, passionate and lustful all at the same time, it wasn't just about satisfying our carnal desires although that was a big part of it, it was about us and our love, how we expressed that love for each other and what our future as a couple was going to be like. You and I have a different connection, our connection is more emotional than physical but it is still powerful, I couldn't be without you now Mika if I'm being honest, however I still crave Larten and I always will. I just want him to touch my skin and make it come alive again, I'd give anything for one last head spinning kiss from him but you already know this Mika, after all I've told you how I feel before." I explained in great detail.**

 **"Yes, you have told me about this on a previous occasion," Prince Mika acknowledged, then he added, "If I could bring Larten back then I would, however I don't have the power to do that and even if I did I probably wouldn't do it. Bringing somebody back from the dead isn't natural, take Mr Tiny's Little People as an example because they are made from the lost souls of others. You wouldn't want Larten ending up as a Little person, he is better off in Paradise with Arra, Gavner and all of our other fallen comrades."**

 **"Yes, when you put it like that I can agree with you." I answered simply.**

 **"I will do my best to love you in the way that Larten loved you, I cannot replace him but I can at least love you just as much as he did. I can also give you the thngs which Larten never got the chance to give you." Prince Mika remarked, then he pulled out a box from the inside of his robes and he handed it to me.**

 **"What is it?" I asked suspiciously, I hadn't been expecting anything.**

 **"I know that Larten would often give his mates gifts for no reason at all, he was famed for spoiling his mates rotten. I intend to do the same thing for you, that way you won't miss out." Prince Mika remarked, then he instructed me to open the box. I opened the box and inside it was a tiara of some kind, it was small but regal looking, there were also earrings in the box and a bracelet too. All of the pieces matched each other perfectly and they sparkled like nobody's business.**

 **"Wow, thank you so, so much for these gifts. I'm almost speechless Mika." I said humbly.**

 **"I wanted to give you something decent to wear on special occasions, Larten would have done exactly the same thing for you after all. I can't afford to buy you diamonds set into platinum, however I have bought you fourteen carot white gold and the stones are a mixture of different gems. I'm trying my best despite my financial limitations." Prince Mika revealed.**

 **"I am not a gold digger, it was kind of you to buy me something when you didn't have to buy me anything." I replied honestly.**

 **"I wish I could buy you the best of everything, alas I am unable to do that but I will give you all of my love, every last drop of it in fact." Prince Mika reassured me.**

 **"That is so sweet, I'll give you all of my love in exchange except for the deep love that I have in my heart for Larten. Is that OK with you Mika?" I asked.**

 **"Yes, I expected you to say something like that and I'm fine with it. I have love in my heart for Arra too so we are pretty much even." Prince Mika acknowledged.**

 **"I'm glad that we understand each other, we're also completely honest with one another in relation to our feelings. When it comes to talking about issues like this we have to be open to discussion, bottling things up is never the way forward." I declared.**

 **"I agree, I should be in the Hall of Princes right now because I have general business to attend to, I cannot put the running of the Clan on hold even though I'd like to stay with you. I'll get Seba to come and keep you company if you like." Prince Mika told me, then he got up to leave.**

 **"Mika," I called out and Prince Mika turned around to face me.**

 **"Yes, what is it?" Prince Mika queried, his eyebrows were raised.**

 **"I thought you'd kiss me before you left my side, that's all." I remarked with a sigh.**

 **"I've given you so many kisses already." Prince Mika replied,**

 **"But I love you Mika and I love your kisses too." I countered sadly. Upon hearing these words Prince Mika walked over to my hammock, I stood up and after that I looked into Prince Mika's dark eyes, they were the colour of black onyx. Prince Mika's eyes connected with mine, I was standing on my tiptoes so that our eyes were almost level and then I gently pulled on Prince Mika's robes so that he would come closer to me, in doing so our lips connected and we shared a playful kiss. I had my hands wrapped around Prince Mika's neck whilst we kissed, I didn't want to let him go either but I had to.**

 **"I'll come and see you later after I've concluded my business, I will also instruct Seba to come and watch over you in my abscence, we'll share another kiss and then I must go, the duties of being a Prince outweigh my duties to you as your mate I'm afraid, loathesome as that is." Prince Mika said formally.**

 **"I understand, the welfare of the Clan comes before our own personal desires." I said approvingly.**

 **"Exactly, the needs of the many come before the desires of the few. It has always been that way." Prince Mika remarked in his official tone. I had the ends of Prince Mika's long hair wrapped around the fingers of my left hand, however I had my other hand against his chest where his heart was. I could feel Prince Mika's heart pounding really fast, it was just as quick as my own heartbeat.**

 **"I can feel your heartbeat, your heart is beating quicker than usual," I commented,**

 **"That is because I'm with you, my heart always goes faster when you're near me. Seeing as I can actually hear your heartbeat I don't need to feel it," Prince Mika remarked,**

 **"I thought that would probably be the case, after all vampires do have really good hearing." I concluded.**

 **"We have hearing that is more than adequate and our eyesight is also above average. Our sense of smell is also heightened, being a vampire has both advantages and problems." Prince Mika clarified.**

 **"You've got business to attend to, I shouldn't be holding you up." I stated truthfully.**

 **"That is accurate." Prince Mika agreed. At this point we shared a final kiss and then Prince Mika left me to go and do business in the Hall of Princes. I wasn't alone for long, Seba and Olaf turned up soon after Prince Mika had gone to the Hall of Princes. Seba came and sat down in the chair that was next to my hammock, Olaf on the other hand was standing by the door and he had his spear with him.**

 **"Olaf, I think that I'm safe within the confines of the Medical Wing. You don't have to stand there like a lemon guarding the door if you don't want to." I remarked.**

 **"It is Prince Mika's express order Madam, he has ordered me to guard you and not to leave your side either. I have been re-assigned to you after I was relieved from duty. I sustained a nasty wound during the battle and it had to heal up before I could return to my post. I wouldn't have been able to do my job properly otherwise Madam." Olaf replied.**

 **"I'm glad to have you back as my Guard, you always did a great job and I feel safe when you're around. Considering who I am it is only right that I should have a Guard with me, that is what vampire law states after all." I reiterated.**

 **"Zara, do you and Prince Mika have an agreement?" Seba asked me directly.**

 **"Not officially no because we are still in mourning, however we are mates and I have the talisman to prove it." I answered before I showed Seba the talisman.**

 **"Have you consummated your union yet?" Seba enquired, I couldn't understand why he had this obsession with the consummation of mateship agreements.**

 **"Yes we have, our union is official in that way but it has not been publicly recognised yet." I said truthfully.**

 **"You should have asked me for consent to take a new mate, how did it come about?" Seba queried.**

 **"Well before Larten left he asked Prince Mika if he would allow me to sleep in his arms. I started sleeping in Prince Mika's arms whilst I waited for Larten to return, this is how we bonded with each other initially. When you brought us the news that Larten had been killed I was absolutely heartbroken, when I went to Larten's old quarters to try and get some sleep I wrapped one of his cloaks around me, I curled up into a little ball and I closed my eyes. My tears wouldn't stop flowing, when Prince Mika joined me he told me to replace the tears on my cheeks with kisses from his lips. Prince Mika also told me that he would make me feel better, I took his advice and in doing so we shared a kiss. After we had shared our first kiss Prince Mika said that he would penetrate me. Prince Mika explained to me about chemicals that my body would release during mating, he revealed that those chemicals would take my deep sorrow away," I began, then I explained in further detail, "I proceeded to mate with Prince Mika and afterwards I didn't feel so depressed. We discussed the idea of becoming mates, at this point Prince Mika promised me that he'd love me as much as Larten did, he also added that he'd provide me with everything that Larten never got to give to me. Prince Mika wanted to make sure that I wouldn't miss out on anything, he gave me his talisman and then we agreed to become mates. We also decided to keep our union a secret until our customary period of mourning is over, that is what our traditions state after all." When I had finished telling Seba about how Prince Mika and I had become mates he was silent for ages, it was almost as though he was taking in the information that I had just given to him.**

 **"I do understand the motives which Prince Mika had, he knew that if he was able to make you reach your climax then you would not feel so sad afterwards. Climaxing causes hormones to be released that make you feel happy, that is why a lot of vampires mate randomly after one of their comrades has died. Physically mating helps vampires to get over their loss due to the levels of hormones that get released. Do not forget either that we live for a long time, as a result of this we do not wish to spend century after century grieving, hence why we enter into temporary mating contracts. These contracts mean that we can get over our losses quicker." Seba confirmed.**

 **"I am not in a temporary contract but I can certainly understand the merits of entering into one." I agreed.**

 **"How long is your term?" Seba asked me.**

 **"We have not discussed it, we were going to talk about it after our mateship has become public knowledge. Prince Mika has assured me that we will become pledged to each other at some point in the future. I know that Larten would wish for me to be happy and I do believe that he handed me over to Prince Mika, as I understand it vampires hand over their mates to somebody that they can trust to take care of them. Vampires do this so that their mate will be safe if they don't return from battle. I think this information is correct, however I'm not sure. Did Larten mention anything to you about me before he left?" I asked.**

 **"Larten informed me that he wished for me to always keep you safe, he said that he hoped to return here because he wished to become pledged to you, Larten also explained to me that he had commissioned the rings, these are the rings that Larten would have given to you as a part of your Blessed Mateship Ceremony. You were not supposed to know about them until Larten made up his mind as to when, where and how he was going to propose to you, however seeing as Larten was killed before he could arrange anything I do not see the harm in giving to you the rings in question. Maybe you could wear them in honour of Larten on your right hand, I am sure that your new mate would not mind you doing this." Seba suggested to me.**

 **"Larten really did love me, I always believed it but now I know it for certain. I will wear Larten's rings on my right hand, they'll serve as a reminder of his great love for me, it also means that I'll always have something to look at when I'm feeling alone or sad," I informed Seba, then I asked, "Do you have the rings with you Seba?"**

 **"Yes, I do have them. They are some of the most beautiful rings that I have ever seen, you will love them. The first ring that was meant to be your pledge ring is a band of solid platinum with a stone in the centre of it, on the sides of the main stone are smaller stones that are in a diagonal pattern across the band," Seba began, then he went on to tell me, "As for the second ring it is the ring that you would have received at the end of the Blessed Mateship Ceremony, this ring is also made from platinum. It is a band that has a pattern engraved into it and it also has stones set into it diagonally, the diagonal lines of stones on the second ring match up with the ones on the pledge ring. I will give them to you and then you can see them for yourself." Seba then handed me a small velvet pouch that contained both rings, I took them out of the pouch and I examined each one in turn before putting it on. I wore them above my original promise ring on the fourth finger of my right hand. I looked down at my finger now that I was wearing all three rings and they dazzled spectacularly, it was a bittersweet moment for me. I would rather have been presented with each of the new rings at the appropriate time, however I was grateful to receive them so that I could wear them. For me it was a way of keeping Larten with me in a more visible format.**

 **"I will always wear these rings, my only regret is not having Larten here with me any longer, for if he were here with us then he would have presented me with these rings personally. I must however be grateful that Larten had them commissioned before he went away, at least now I have them in my possession."**

 **"Larten gave me instructions, he told me that if he did not return for any reason then I had to give you these rings. As for the fortune that Larten gained during his lifetime I am in possession of it, it is yours now by rights so I will give to you the box that has all of the money stored within it. I will also give you the keys to open the box, there are currencies in there from all around Europe," Seba explained, then he told me, "Some of the currencies are no longer legally used, however the majority of the money is in English pound notes. There are also some of those new Euro notes included in the box, I think that Mr Tall paid Larten in the currencies which were used by him most often. I have no idea of exactly how much money is in the box, I would guess at a few thousand in total but I am not sure. We never discussed money at any point, it is not really a suitable topic for conversation and Larten kept his financial affairs private, he would not even tell me how much he had and I was his mentor."**

 **"I asked Larten once if he was wealthy, Larten's reply was that he had the financial means to look after me, then Larten told me that he could do so to a very high standard." I revealed to Seba.**

 **"Put it this way Zara, you only have to look down at your rings to realise how well off Larten was. Seeing as this fortune is now yours I will give you some advice, firstly do not talk about the fact that you are rich because others will want to take the money from you, secondly do not boast or brag about it because that is not how you should conduct yourself, finally spend it wisely and not all at once." Seba concluded, I was still staring at my rings and I was glad to have them on my finger finally. Seba stayed with me for a long time, we chatted about all kinds of subjects. Seba also told me about a couple of vampire legends, they were thrilling stories.**

 **"Do you think that there will ever be a hall that is named after Larten?" I asked.**

 **"Perhaps in the future there will be one named after Larten, as it is all of the halls which are in use have already been named." Seba replied.**

 **"Oh, maybe they'll name one after Arra too. That is the least they can do to honour her memory, she will go down in history and so will Larten. No vampire will ever forget their names either, they are always going to be held in high esteem." I remarked.**

 **"Yes, of that there is no doubt. Any vampire who does what they did for our Clan deserves to be remembered, not only did Larten and Arra set a good example to the Clan but they paid the ultimate price so that we would be safe. Larten went to war against the Vampaneze so that you would not have to, as for Arra she killed three Vampaneze and injured several more before she herself was struck down. Every vampiress can look up to Arra and they can follow her example," Seba informed me, then he added, "If you are ever unsure about anything at any given point in time then my advice to you is this; think about what Arra would do if she were in that same situation and then you will find the best way to proceed."**

 **"I already do that, I find it quite useful. I think about what Larten would do too, I always ask myself something like;** _ **If Larten were in this situation with me what would he tell me to do?**_ **I often think out loud, sometimes I speak to Larten as if he is still with me, it helps because I can hear his voice in my head. Larten often tells me what the best course of action is when I've got an issue, I know he's dead but I can still feel his prescence all around me." I acknowledged, it was hard to explain.**

 **"I understand exactly how you feel, the loss of Larten was a huge blow to you, myself and to the Clan as a whole. It is only natural that you should feel like his spiritual energy is still with you, he was after all your mate and you mated with him frequently. The bond you had was unbreakable, I saw the way that Larten looked at you, when your eyes met across the Hall of Khledon Lurt I could feel your connection to each other. I have never seen two vampires bond so strongly before, I often heard you whilst I was walking past your quarters. I never deliberately listened to either of you, however I have to walk past your quarters to get to my quarters," Seba commented, then he spoke to me further by saying, "I knew that you two were together even before you came and spoke to me about it, you would have to be an idiot not to see or hear what was going on between the both of you. I was going to say something to you about the noise levels too but I did not wish to embarrass you, I have obviously heard it all before but with different names being involved."**

 **"Larten was highly skilled, that's all I'll say on the matter. It is not something that I'm willing to discuss." I stated.**

 **"You should not discuss the physical aspects of your mateship, that information remains between yourself and your mate." A familiar voice said behind me. I turned around and when I saw who was standing there I almost collapsed in shock...It was Larten and he was very much alive!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 10: Larten's Return**

 **I could hardly believe my eyes when I turned around and saw Larten standing behind me, "Oh my word, Larten is it really you? We were informed that you'd been killed. I was told about a pit of flaming stakes that you fell into and everybody said you'd fallen to your death. What the actual hell is going on here?" I said as I stood infront of Larten shaking like a leaf.**

 **"It is a long and complex story, for your own protection as well as my own I had to make the Clan believe that I was dead, it was done to trick the Vampaneze so that Prince Mika can pull off his plan to destroy them. I am alive, unharmed and more importantly I am yours once more." Larten answered, by this point I had my head buried in his chest and he had his arms around me.**

 **"I thought I'd never see you again, I was distraught when I heard the news about you being killed. I can't believe you're actually alive and you're here, I'm so happy to be back in your arms Larten and now I feel whole once more." I stated. I grabbed hold of Larten's shirt, pulled him close to me and kissed him with every ounce of love that I had inside of my heart. It was a very emotional re-union for both of us, I lay in my hammock and Larten sat on the chair beside me.**

 **"What is that?" Larten asked, he was referring to Diesel.**

 **"It is an Alaskan Malamute crossed with a wolf and he's called Diesel, he was a presant from Prince Mika. I am Prince Mika's mate now, with circumstances being what I thought they were I felt really confused and lost. Prince Mika helped me to grieve for you, I don't know what to do now because I'm technically with him and I have his talisman around my neck, I also have yours and Seba gave me the rings that you had commissioned for me too." I explained to Larten slowly. Larten was silent for a long time, it was as though he was mulling something over in his mind.**

 **"Zara, you have to choose between myself and Prince Mika for you cannot have two mates. I know it is difficult for you, however you have no option." Larten told me.**

 **"How can I possibly choose? I asked.**

 **"Ask yourself who you love more and pick that vampire to be your mate." Larten instructed me.**

 **"Prince Mika should be here, Seba, will you go and get him please?" I asked Seba.**

 **"Yes, he needs to be here." Seba answered, then he vanished. Larten and I were now alone in the private medical bay area of the Medical Wing.**

 **"I guess that I can wear your rings on my ring finger now Larten, I've been wearing them on my right hand." I said as I swapped the rings from one hand to the other.**

 **"Does this mean that you are choosing myself over Prince Mika?" Larten queried.**

 **"I need to think carefully before making a final decision as to who I want my mate to be." I declared.**

 **"I did bring back the items of clothing and new shoes that you requested. I have also brought you a snake as promised, it is asleep in our quarters in its vivarium." Larten revealed, then he pulled his chair closer to my hammock, I was sitting up with my legs dangling over the side of the hammock.**

 **"Thank you, I still cannot quite believe that you are alive and that you are here with me." I murmured quietly.**

 **"I am just relieved that I was able to make it back here in one piece." Larten stated, then we shared a kiss that lasted for a fair few minutes.**

 **"The Halls of Sport have been filled up with flowers and two of your knives are hanging on the wall next to Arra's staff, the entire Clan has been mourning for your loss and everybody is wearing black. When the Clan sees that you're alive they'll go nuts." I revealed to Larten.**

 **"I guess that I had better go and make my prescence known as it were. I must catch up with Vanez." Larten told me, he was about to leave when Seba returned with Prince Mika. When Prince Mika saw Larten and Larten bowed to him he looked at me with disbelief in his eyes.**

 **"Larten, you're alive. Vampire Gods be praised." Prince Mika said when he had got over the shock of seeing Larten again.**

 **"Sire, I want to thank you for taking care of my mate whilst I was away. I understand that she became your mate because you believed that I was dead, I have no problem with that because I did hand Zara over to you after all." Larten said to Prince Mika.**

 **"I just followed your instructions, now that you have returned I guess that I will have to hand your mate back to you Larten. I did take very good care of her as promised." Prince Mika said to Larten.**

 **"Thank you for looking after me Mika, you were there for me when I needed you." I remarked.**

 **"You are on first name terms?" Larten queried, his eyebrows were raised.**

 **"Of course we are on first name terms, we were mates. Technically we still are mates because we have not ended our agreement, it was consummated too, just so you know." I replied nervously and honestly.**

 **"You must make your choice, either myself or Prince Mika. Whoever you choose does not matter as long as you are content and well looked after." Larten reminded me.**

 **"I never thought that I'd be put into this position, it is so hard for me to choose between the both of you. I like the privileges that I get when I'm with you Mika, being the mate of a Prince is an honour. On the other hand I have always loved you Larten, when I thought that you were dead I wanted for nothing more than to kiss you one last time. I also can't deny the fact that when we mate the sensations I experience are not from this world, how can I give that up? This is why I'm so torn, do I want the prestige and privilege of being with a Vampire Prince or do I want something far more intense mating wise but not quite as prestigious?" After saying this I sat down and I weighed up all of the options, I could see my rings flashing and I could also see Prince Mika observing me, he looked like was pleading with me to pick him over Larten.**

 **"Follow your heart, are you happy as Madam Ver Leth or would you rather become my Blessed Mate?" Larten asked me, he sounded quite serious now.**

 **"I honestly don't know, I'm in love with both of you for different reasons." I replied truthfully.**

 **"Think very carefully, you are wearing my rings so that must mean something to you." Larten remarked.**

 **"They do mean something to me, they mean a lot to me in fact. I am however wearing Prince Mika's talisman and that means something too." I answered.**

 **"Would it be so wrong to have two mates? I could split my time equally between you both." I enquired.**

 **"It would make you look bad, it is not how vampiresses of high standing conduct themselves." Larten stated.**

 **"Seba? What are your views on this situation?" I asked.**

 **"I think that you should choose whoever owns your heart, pick the vampire who will make you the happiest. That is my opinion, the choice is up to you though." Seba declared.**

 **"Larten owns my heart, he swore to me that he'd take good care of it too." I admitted.**

 **"In saying those words you have your answer, there is nothing left for me to do except to release you from our agreement. I'd like my talisman back now please." Prince Mika declared.**

 **"But I love you Mika." I countered.**

 **"How can you love me when another already owns your heart?" Prince Mika asked.**

 **"I love both of you, Larten owns my heart but you own parts of my soul, I've lost far too much already this year as it is." I replied.**

 **"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Somebody suddenly interjected.**

 **"Mr Tiny, how did you get here?" Seba asked Mr Tiny.**

 **"I heard about Larten's miraculous escape and then I heard about this little problem that you've got. I am also aware of your deepest wish Zara, I know what you desire above everything else in the world. I have the power to grant it to you, however you must do something for me in exchange." Mr Tiny remarked.**

 **"You know what I want above all?" I asked, shocked.**

 **"Yes, you want to rule the Clan don't you Zara?" Mr Tiny queried.**

 **"That is one of my ambitions, however I've wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. As a vampiress I cannot have a child, I do have this little hairball though." I revealed as I stroked Diesel carefully.**

 **"Perhaps you can have a child, maybe you'll even have twins." Mr Tiny told me, then a wicked grin spread across his face.**

 **"What did you say?" I asked, stunned.**

 **"I said that perhaps you'll have twins." Mr Tiny repeated.**

 **"That is impossible, vampires are barren." I reiterated.**

 **"But you are only a half vampire." Mr Tiny pointed out to me.**

 **"If I could have a child I'd be pregnant by now." I sighed.**

 **"I'll make a deal with you. I'll allow you to rule the Vampire Clan and I'll let you fall pregant by one of your two mates here, all I ask in exchange is that I get to name the child and act as its guardian. Do we have a deal?" Mr Tiny offered.**

 **"Will the child be a human or how will it work in that respect?" I enquired.**

 **"The child will be born as a half vampire and it will live here in the mountain, I'll raise it in the same way that I've raised Evanna." Mr Tiny answered, then he offered me his hand.**

 **"What do you think?" I asked Larten, Seba and Prince Mika.**

 **"I would advise against it personally, however that is only because the mountain is a harsh environment for a baby to live in." Seba replied.**

 **"I am in favour of it, Mr Tiny is permitting you to become a mother and therefore he's making your dream come true." Prince Mika remarked.**

 **"I am against it, I do not like children and I have enough to deal with without a screaming baby waking me up in the middle of the day." Larten said firmly.**

 **"Thank you for your input, my answer is no. I'm sorry Mr Tiny but with two against and one in favour I'm going with the majority on this." I answered decisively.**

 **"So be it, by the way if I were you I'd take Larten as your mate but that's just my advice." Mr Tiny stated, then he grinned wickedly again and vanished.**

 **"What was that all about? Mr Tiny really loves meddling in other people's affairs." I declared.**

 **"You did the right thing to say no, a child is the last thing this Clan needs. My only fear is that he will make the same offer to the Lord of Vampaneze and his mate now, the Lord of Vampaneze is reportedly mating with the younger sister of Prince Darren." Larten revealed to us.**

 **"I'm not getting involved in that mess, I'll leave it up to Prince Darren to fix that situation because it is** _ **his**_ **sister after all." I answered.**

 **"Getting back to our original matter of business Zara, tell us once and for all who you are going to take as your mate." Seba interjected.**

 **"I still can't decide and that is the truth." I stated.**

 **"If you cannot decide between us then we will have to fight each other for the rights to become your mate, traditionally fighting for the rights to mate are fights to the death." Prince Mika revealed to me.**

 **"No, no and no. I am not having you two killing each other over me, I'd rather be single instead of watching that bloodbath taking place." I announced clearly.**

 **"So you cannot choose between us and yet, you won't let us fight over you either. I've never heard of a vampiress who didn't want males fighting over her until now." Prince Mika declared.**

 **"I have lost too much already, fights to the death are not on the agenda. I will let you duel over me on the Bars, the winner of the duel becomes my mate. Is that fair enough?" I offered by way of a solution and a suggestion.**

 **"Yes, that is reasonable." Larten nodded in agreement.**

 **"I concur, a duel on the Bars it is. You'll be able to see all of the tributes that the Clan left for you when you enter the Halls of Sport too." Prince Mika reiterated.**

 **"Before we duel I had better go and reveal myself to the Clan, they do not know that I am alive as of yet. They will probably go wild when they see me because they still think that I am dead." Larten reminded us.**

 **"Oh my word, you must let the Clan know that you are alive." I concurred.**

 **"Yes, you must do that now and we'll come with you too. I've got an idea." Prince Mika said, then he smiled rebelliously.**

 **"What are you planning?" I asked.**

 **"Come with me to the Hall of Princes first, all three of you and bring the little hairball too." Prince Mika ordered.**

 **"I'm still sick." I reminded Prince Mika.**

 **"You'll be OK, I'll carry you if the walk from here to there is too far." Prince Mika offered, then he scooped me up into his arms. Larten walked beside Prince Mika and Seba followed behind us. We left the Medical Wing and headed towards the Princes' Dome, it was quite a long way away but with vampiric speed Prince Mika arrived there with me in his arms within about ten minutes. Larten and Seba arrived soon afterwards, all of us were searched and then Prince Mika opened the door to the Princes' Dome by touching it. Prince Mika carried me over to where the other Princes were sitting on their thrones, he put me down and then I observed the Princes' jaws dropping when they saw Larten approaching and bowing to them. I bowed too and so did Seba.**

 **"Mika, what is the meaning of this?" Prince Arrow asked.**

 **"I just came here to tell you that Larten is alive, the Gods of the Vampires spared him after all." Prince Mika explained.**

 **"I cannot believe it, how in the name of Harnon Oan did you survive Larten?" Prince Paris queried.**

 **"I fell into the pit but I landed by the wall, the wall had no stakes or flames near to it. I was backed up against the wall and I moved along it, it turned out that the pit has a tunnel that leads into it. I found the tunnel entrance and followed it until I was outside. The pit is designed to look bottomless and filled with fire and stakes from the top, however it is an illusion. Once I was outside I rested and then I came straight back here, I had to raise the alarm about the Lord of the Vampaneze, I am safe and unharmed as you can see." Larten divulged to us.**

 **"I couldn't believe it myself, when Larten walked into my medical bay I thought that I was dreaming. It wasn't until I had buried my head into his chest that I realised he was actually alive, suffice to say he didn't let go of me for long time and I didn't let him go either." I admitted.**

 **"I am relieved to see that you are alive Larten, the entire Clan has been in mourning." Prince Paris added.**

 **"I heard, I had no idea that I was so highly thought of. I have to go and show myself to them. The Clan do not know that I am here, nobody has seen me yet either apart from those of us who are in this room." Larten informed us all.**

 **"I want to announce it to the Clan, I want to gather them all together in one place, reveal to them that Larten is alive and then watch the expressions on their faces. We may need to bring up some barrels of the decent ale in order to celebrate this almost impossible circumstance." Prince Mika announced.**

 **"I agree, bring up some of the decent ale and bring four barrels of the good wine up too. Not all of us drink ale after all. I think that brandy is also called for in this situation." Prince Arrow confirmed, then two vampires went to the cellars to fetch the alcohol in question.**

 **"I just noticed your rings Zara, they are shining like the stars." Prince Paris said.**

 **"These rings are made from platinum and natural mined diamonds, I am very fortunate to have such pieces of jewellery." I remarked.**

 **"Yes, your mate must truly love you." Prince Paris answered.**

 **"Sire, Zara owns my heart. I would die for her if I had to because I love her that much." Larten told Prince Paris.**

 **"Am I right in thinking that we may be holding a Blessed Mateship Ceremony at some point?" Prince Arrow queried.**

 **"It is a possibility, but it is not for certain. There is a slight problem between myself, Larten and Zara and we are trying to fix it. Larten officially handed Zara over to me before he left, when we were told that he'd been killed Zara and I grew very close. Zara and I then decided to become mates after our six month mourning period was over, however Larten has since returned and now Zara cannot make up her mind as to who she wants to mate with, she claims to be in love with both of us. Zara wears Larten's rings and she also wears my talisman, hence the confusion between the three of us." Prince Mika explained honestly.**

 **"That is a mess, you'll have to fight for the rights to mate with Zara, whoever wins the fight becomes her mate, there is no other option." Prince Arrow stated plainly.**

 **"We've already decided upon doing that, however we'll duel on the Bars instead of a fight to the death, seeing as there has been enough violence and loss already." Prince Mika clarified.**

 **"Let's go and gather the Clan together into one place, the sooner we reveal that you're alive the sooner we can start the celebrations after all." Prince Paris added, then he and Prince Arrow stood up and left the Princes' Dome. Prince Mika, Larten and myself all left as well, we also had to get changed out of our black clothing. I put on one of my best dresses, it was purple and blue and I had my best cloak on over the top of it too. Larten changed into a red suit, what he had been wearing was ripped in places and covered in blood. Larten also put one of his best cloaks on, after we had got changed we headed down the tunnel. Prince Mika met us en route and he was now wearing his blue robes, he led us down to where the Clan had been gathered together and then he entered the hall. We had to wait until Prince Mika came and fetched us before we could enter the hall. I was holding Diesel in my arms, I took him everywhere with me because he was too small to be left on his own.**

 **"You can enter the hall now, are you prepared for this?" Prince Mika asked Larten.**

 **"Yes, it is time to reveal myself to my fellow comrades." Larten remarked, then unusually for him he held my hand. I wasn't complaining about this sudden show of affection, however Prince Mika gently pulled me away from Larten, he wrapped his arms around me and he kissed me. It was a full on kiss too and I was a bit taken aback by it, however I loved all of the attention I was getting. I must have kissed Prince Mika for a minute or so, when we broke of our kiss Larten looked genuinely hurt by the whole thing.**

 **"Why? How could you do that to me?" Larten asked us.**

 **"It was just a kiss." Prince Mika answered.**

 **"You kissed the woman I love infront of me, that is downright direspectful in my book Sire." Larten declared.**

 **"Larten I'm sorry." I said humbly.**

 **"How would you feel if we were to kiss infront of you Sire?" Larten queried.**

 **"In truth, I'd be turned on by it Larten." Prince Mika stated honestly.**

 **"You get turned on by seeing somebody you love kissing somebody else?" Larten enquired, he sounded surprised.**

 **"It isn't that as such, I just just get turned on when I hear Zara making those little noises, she moans softly when somebody touches her exposed skin whilst kissing her." Prince Mika confessed.**

 **"I am perfectly aware of that fact, I think I know what my mates likes me to do to her body." Larten countered.**

 **"She begs me not to stop, we hit our climax together and she trembles underneath my body when I make her orgasm." Prince Mika revealed.**

 **"I do not just make my mate tremble, I take her far beyond that point and I make her see stars, then she climaxes more than once. I make my mate cry out in ecstasy, I am after all far more skilled than you are Sire, no offence." Larten bragged.**

 **"My mate Zara says my name out loud and she pleads with me not to stop, she always lets me know how close she is getting to reaching her peak too." Prince Mika claimed.**

 **"Enough, stop it both of you. This will not get either of you anywhere. We have business to attend to, our private troubles can wait until later." I interjected firmly.**

 **"I am sorry." Larten muttered quietly.**

 **"It is obvious to me how much Zara means to you, I also apologise for my less than Prince-like conduct." Prince Mika replied, then he opened the doors that led to the hall where the Clan had gathered and we stepped inside. As soon as we stepped into the hall the entire Clan were stunned, they were all shocked and amazed at seeing Larten alive and standing infront of them. Vanez was the first to jump up out of his seat,**

 **"It can't be, can it? Is it actually you Larten?" Vanez said, he was in disbelief.**

 **"Yes Vanez, it is me. I am alive." Larten confirmed. Next came the vampiresses, they were the ones who had thrown themselves at Larten and practically begged him to mate with them. They had all been wearing black veils, they removed their veils and they had tears streaming down their faces, however these were tears of joy at seeing Larten alive. Then the vampiresses got really emotional and they were jumping up and down, they did this whilst holding onto each other, it was an expression of excitement and sheer happiness.**

 **"I told you that you were popular." I whispered to Larten.**

 **"I had no idea that the other vampiresses felt so strongly about me." Larten remarked.**

 **"You should see the tributes that they've left for you in the Halls of Sport. These vampiresses spent hours standing under the pair of your knives that were hung up next to Arra's staff and they cried non stop, I cried too. Seba and Prince Mika held onto me, I buried my head into Seba's chest and I cried my eyes out when I heard the news." I admitted.**

 **"Do they care about me that badly?" Larten queried.**

 **"I think that they must do. I know that some of them threw themselves at you but the others didn't. Maybe you could show them a little bit of attention, otherwise they'll think that you don't care about them at all. They have been through a lot after all. They are almost like your fans so to speak." I hinted.**

 **"I guess that I could hug them, is that reasonable?" Larten asked me.**

 **"I think they deserve a bit more than a quick hug from you Larten, after all I saw how deeply affected they were by your apparent passing." I remarked quietly.**

 **"They were very emotional, I have not seen a display of emotion like that being displayed before." Larten commented.**

 **"No, it is not very vampiric." I added.**

 **"Maybe some of them are only half-blooded, I am not sure because I do not assiciate with them, seeing as they have no respect for themselves it would not be a wise idea if I were to become involved with any of them. I must compensate them somehow to make up for their emotional distress, however I do not know how to do this." Larten admitted.**

 **"Walk over there and talk with them. You also know what ladies like, maybe you could show them a tiny bit of affection, they've earnt it in my book." I stated.**

 **"I suppose I could hold them in my arms, they would like that." Larten remarked, he looked consigned to the fact as he walked over to where the vampiresses were standing. The vampiresses in question were a mess, they were relieved to know that Larten was safe. When Larten walked over to the group of vampiresses they couldn't quite believe it.**

 **"I have heard about your great distress, I am also aware of your display of loyalty towards me. By wearing veils and mourning for me properly when you believed that I was dead you have earnt my respect. You have no need to cry any longer." Larten said to the group, I was within earshot of them.**

 **"These are tears of joy at seeing you alive and unharmed, our hearts were shattered into pieces when we thought that you'd been killed." One of the vampiresses admitted to Larten.**

 **"I am alright." Larten stated.**

 **"We know that now, if only you could hold me in your arms..." the vampiress trailed off, she coudn't bring herself to finish what she was saying.**

 **"Is that what you want?" Larten asked the vampiress.**

 **"More than anything." The vampiress answered truthfully.**

 **"Very well," Larten remarked, then he scooped up the vampiress in question into his arms and held her "bridal style" for a few moments. "Is this what you wanted?" Larten queried.**

 **"Yes, just being close to you makes me feel safe. My mentor was killed when the Vampaneze tried to invade the mountain, however he didn't hand me over to anybody before the battle started. As a result of this I've been left to fend for myself." The vampiress explained.**

 **"What is your name?" Larten asked the vampiress, by this point I was standing next to him.**

 **"I'm called Katerina but the Clan call me Kate for short." Kate answered.**

 **"I will attempt to find you a new mentor, you cannot be expected to fend for yourself at your age. I am shocked that your mentor did not hand you over before he went into battle, that should have been his first priority but he failed to do his duty." Larten declared then he carefully put Kate down, he had been holding her for quite a while.**

 **"I'd appreciate any help that you can give me, thank you." Kate humbly stated to Larten.**

 **"Who is next?" Larten asked the vampiresses, they had formed a kind of queue.**

 **"I am," a quiet, nervous voice replied and then a vampiress stepped forward. She looked emotionally drained and her eyes were red from crying.**

 **"What can I do for you?" Larten queried.**

 **"I ask for nothing, I would rather that you helped out those who have less than I do," the vampiress answered, then she added, "I'm just happy to finally meet you in the flesh as it were."**

 **"That is very noble of you, I admire those who think of others before their own personal needs or desires," Larten acknowledged, then he asked, "Are you sure that you want nothing from me?"**

 **"I humbly request that you give to me but one kiss," the vampiress requested, then she said, "I have not been kissed before."**

 **"What ever?" I asked, surprised.**

 **"No, I have a good reason for that though. My reason is that I wanted to share my first real kiss with Larten. I was abandoned as an infant and rescued by Mr Tall, he thought that the Clan would have use of me so he sent me here. My mentor and Mr Tall have told me to save my purity for somebody who is worthy of becoming my mate. I picked Larten after hearing about his heroic exploits both on and off the battlefield, when I heard that Larten had apparently been killed I was distraught." The vampiress explained.**

 **"I have never heard of anybody saving their first kiss for a specific individual before," Larten replied, then he stated, "I am not too keen on public displays of affection, however given the circumstances I am prepared to make an exception on this occasion." The vampiress in question seemed like she was really nervous, she was shaking like a leaf and vampires were not normally afraid of anything.**

 **"My name is Tatiana, Mr Tall named me and he raised me as his own. I was just a baby when he saved my life, I worked at the Cirque Du Freak as a stage hand before I joined your Clan. I was the assistant of Lukas before he was killed." Tatiana revealed.**

 **"I didn't know Lukas personally." I said.**

 **"Tatiana, come with me please." Larten instructed.**

 **"Where to?" Tatiana asked nervously, she was still shaking.**

 **"To a place where we can be alone, it is easier to do certain things without being watched after all." Larten remarked.**

 **"Very well, I understand." Tatiana replied, then she and Larten headed to a place where they could be alone...**

 **Larten's P.O.V**

 **I led Tatiana away from the prying eyes and gossiping mouths of the other Clan members, I thought that it would be easier for her if she shared her first kiss with me in a private place. I had never been a lover of public displays of affection either, there is in my view something odd about expressing your feelings for your mate in a public area. I exited the mountain tunnels and I led Tatiana to a place in the woods that surrounded the mountain.**

 **"Where are we?" Tatiana asked me, she sounded worried.**

 **"We are in a safe, quiet location. I thought that it would be easier for you to kiss me if we were not being watched." I answered.**

 **"I am a little bit nervous, I don't actually know what to do." Tatiana informed me.**

 **"Kissing is quite simple, however I will not use my tongue unless you wish for me to do so. Seeing as you have got no experience I do not want to overwhelm** **you.** **" I remarked.**

 **"I just hope that it'll be a good experience," Tatiana stated, before saying to me, "You can use your tongue if you think that it'll make it better for me." I thought for a while, I was working out in my head the best way to kiss this young, innocent half vampiress, I could see how nervous she was after all. I made up my mind to try and give her a bit of reassurance, she was shaking so badly. I thought that Tatiana was either nervous or terrified, either way I would have to find a way to stop her from shaking so much.**

 **"Come here, I will not hurt you. There is no need for you to be afraid of me," I said calmly, "I know how to treat ladies with respect." Tatiana took a few steps closer to where I was standing, she could not have been more than about twenty in age. I also admired how Tatiana had saved herself for me, it must have been very difficult for her to do so. I was much taller than Tatiana was too, I was like a tower compared to her so I sat down on a long log that served as a bench. Tatiana sat down next to me, I put my arm around her and I kissed her cheek.**

 **"Where should I put my hands?" Tatiana asked me innocently.**

 **"You may put them around the back of my neck, if you would prefer to hold my hands then that is also fine." I answered plainly.**

 **"Like this?" Tatiana asked as she reached out to me and linked her tiny fingers with my own, much larger ones.**

 **"Yes, that is ideal." I replied. I removed my arm from around Tatiana's waist and I placed my hand on the side of her neck, then she moved her head a bit closer to mine. We were a couple of inches apart, Tatiana had placed her free hand on my neck too, I believed that she was following her instincts. I closed the gap between ourselves, I kissed Tatiana very gently and slowly initially just so she would have an idea of what it felt like. Tatiana was not doing anything, she really was inexperienced and I could feel her trembling slightly. I pulled away from her slowly and she just looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face.**

 **"Was that it?" Tatiana queried, she was still looking confused.**

 **"That was a little taste of what kissing is. You clearly have no idea what you are doing, however that is OK because I will teach you what to do." I replied.**

 **"I told you that I've never kissed anybody before, what am I supposed to do?" Tatiana asked me directly, she looked upset and frustrated with herself at not knowing what to do.**

 **"Well when I kiss you it would be better for you if your mouth was slightly open, you kept it closed and that made it hard for me to do anything." I explained calmly.**

 **"I've seen it done in movies but I have never done it myself, however I think I know what you mean." Tatiana answered, she seemed to be a little bit more confident now.**

 **"When I kiss you this time try to move your tongue back and forth inside my mouth if you can, I will be doing the same thing to you, you will enjoy it much more if you can do this." I instructed.**

 **"OK, I'll try it but again it isn't something that I've done before." Tatiana stated, then she tilted her head slightly and our lips connected, only this time I was able to kiss Tatiana properly because she had taken my advice. I didn't go too far or too deep but I did enough and I could feel her tongue in my mouth, she was slow at first but then her vampiric instincts kicked in, we ended up sharing a rather more passionate kiss than I had expected to share with this inexperienced vampiress. I did not break apart from Tatiana either, I kept the kiss going so that she could practice a little bit. I pulled away from her gently after a few minutes, I didn't want her to get aroused or anything after all.**

 **"How was that for your first real kiss?" I enquired.**

 **"It was a good experience." Tatiana replied, I noticed that she was no longer shaking which was also a good thing.**

 **"Your vampiric instincts will kick in and you will know what to do even if you have not done it before, you should trust your instincts for they are like instructions." I advised Tatiana calmly.**

 **"May I kiss you again?" Tatiana requested, then she concluded by saying, "I'll trust what my instincts tell me to do this time." I didn't answer Tatiana's question, instead I tilted my head slightly, leaned forward and then we shared another kiss. It was much better this time, I could feel that Tatiana was growing in confidence as her tongue pulsed back and forth inside my mouth, I did the same to her and we ended up kissing a bit deeper than we had done before. Tatiana was getting braver now, she was learning quickly how to co-ordinate her lips and her tongue and I let her get some practice in. Eventually Tatiana pulled away from me and our kiss ended.**

 **"I liked that," Tatiana said to me, before adding innocently, "I hope that you liked it too."**

 **"Considering the fact that you are inexperienced when it comes to kissing you did rather well." I answered politely.**

 **"I put extra effort into it because it was you who I was kissing, had I given my first kiss to another then I wouldn't have tried so hard." Tatiana admitted to me as we walked back to the mountain.**

 **"I hope that your first real kisses were good experiences for you, I would however appreciate it if you did not brag about it. I like to keep things like this private, it was after all a very personal thing that we shared." I remarked just before we walked back inside the mountain.**

 **"I understand, I won't tell anybody about it. We'll keep it to ourselves, like you said it was a very personal thing that we have shared together. I have to lose my purity next, for that I'll need to find myself a mate. Seeing as you've already got a mate then it won't be you who is my first, maybe you know of somebody who would be willing to mate with me?" Tatiana enquired as we walked down the tunnel and back to the hall where the Clan had gathered together.**

 **"I will let you know if I find somebody suitable, of course if it were me then I would be able to break you in slowly and properly. I know what I am doing after all and I am very skilled." I responded just as we entered the hall again, by the time we returned to the hall the barrels of decent ale had been brought up from the cellar, the Clan were holding some kind of party and it was in full swing...**

 **Zara's P.O.V**

 **When I saw that Larten and Tatiana had returned to the hall where we were all gathered I was standing beside Prince Mika, he and I were drinking wine out of the same goblet and we'd shared a few little kisses too. Prince Mika had his arm around my waist and we had been chatting about all kinds of things. Larten approached us and Tatiana did too, she looked like she was pleased with herself.**

 **"What took you so long?" I asked, I was annoyed.**

 **"Things take time, certain situations cannot be rushed." Larten replied. I continued to share wine with Prince Mika out of the same goblet infront of Larten, it seemed to irritate him.**

 **"Luckily Mika has kept me occupied whilst you've been gone." I remarked as I helped myself to yet more wine.**

 **"I must attend to the other vampiresses, they are waiting for me." Larten stated stiffly, then he went to where the queued up vampiresses were waiting for him. I remained with Prince Mika, we danced together and we shared quite a bit of wine too. Prince Mika kissed me throughout the evening, he seemed to have no objections to showing me affection in public. Larten looked as though he'd swallowed a lemon when he saw us kissing, he wasn't happy about the whole situation but seeing as Mika was a Vampire Prince Larten couldn't do anything about it. I loved it when Prince Mika would kiss me, I'd entwine my fingers in his hair and we'd kiss for a few moments at a time. When Larten had finished showering attention on the group of vampiresses he approached Prince Mika and I, he looked hurt and that made me feel bad. I stood opposite Larten and I put my arms around his neck.**

 **"I am still hopelessly torn between the both of you, I love you and Mika so much and to think of losing one of you really hurts me." I whispered in Larten's ear, I was standing on my tiptoes.**

 **"When I see you and Prince Mika together it upsets me, I can understand why you and he became mates and I do not blame you for your choice, however I am struggling to control my emotions." Larten told me quietly.**

 **"I am sorry if I have hurt you Larten, that was never my intention." I apologised.**

 **"Perhaps if we mated again it would help us to rebuild our bond." Larten suggested.**

 **"It would probably make me feel even more confused, seeing as I am bonded to both of you." I admitted.**

 **"Would it help if I showed you more affection?" Larten queried.**

 **"In public?" I asked, before saying, "I've been kissing Prince Mika so if I suddenly started kissing you now it'd look bad for both of us."**

 **"Yes," Larten sighed, "I suppose that it would look a little bit unorthodox."**

 **"I'm sorry that I put you in this position, this whole thing is my fault," I concluded, before pleading, "Can you forgive me Larten?"**

 **"I will have to think about this whole situation carefully," Larten remarked, "It is not a position that I have ever been put in before after all."**

 **"I have never been in this position either, I feel privileged in a way because I have the both of you, then again I'd never wish to hurt either of you, I love you both and I also care about you both so much." I explained.**

 **"When you saw me again you held onto me so tightly, it was like you never wanted to let me go again," Larten commented,**

 **"I was just in shock and disbelief that you were actually alive, I couldn't fathom it. I thought that I was dreaming until I actually felt your warm body next to mine," I answered plainly, then I added, "I had to grip onto you because I was very emotional, I needed you to hold me because I felt like I was about to collapse."**

 **"I did notice how unsteady you seemed to be on your feet, it is probably because you were overcome with emotions. I am not surprised about that either," Larten remarked, then he admitted, "The whole time that I was on my journey I only thought of you, I was desperate to find out how you were and whether you were being looked after properly. As it turns out I believe that you have been taken care of a bit too well."**

 **"Prince Mika is very attentive, kind and loving towards me, he treats me as if I were his Blessed Mate and I have no complaints whatsoever." I confirmed.**

 **"I see, do I not also treat you well?" Larten queried.**

 **"Yes, you do," I replied simply, "You treat me extremely well. In fact I have no cause for complaint in relation to your treatment of me either," I concluded, then finally I added, "Believe me, if I had a problem with your treatment of me then you'd know about it."**

 **"Are you aware of the fact that I have the unofficial powers of a Vampire Prince? Due to my underage assistant being made a Vampire Prince I remain as his mentor, therefore that makes me a Vampire Prince in all but name." Larten revealed to me.**

 **"No, I was not aware of that fact." I said in response, I was stunned by Larten's sudden revelation. It made making my decision even harder, how could I possibly choose between Larten and Prince Mika now? I still had my arms wrapped around Larten's neck, I wanted to kiss him but I knew that he wouldn't like it. I let go of Larten and turned back to face Prince Mika, he took a step so that his chest was right up against my body. I twirled my fingers in the ends of Prince Mika's hair whilst he kissed me. It was almost as if Prince Mika was staking his claim, (pardon the pun) however I pulled away from him pretty quickly. I felt uncomfortable with kissing Prince Mika whilst Larten was standing beside me. I knew how much it hurt Larten's feelings when he saw me kissing Prince Mika, hence why I tried my best not to kiss Prince Mika whilst Larten was watching.**

 **"Why did you pull away from me?" Prince Mika asked, he sounded hurt now.**

 **"It hurts Larten's feelings when he sees me kissing you, how would you feel if you watched me kissing Larten?" I countered.**

 **"Good question, my only issue is that I can't help it Zara, I just love kissing you at every opportunity I am given to do so. I love you Zara, I'd use my last ounce of strength to protect you if you were in trouble." Prince Mika stated.**

 **"I would not expect anything less from you, however I would still gladly fight by your side as your equal." I answered honestly.**

 **"That is why you stand out from the crowd, we admire vampiresses who are able to take care of themselves," Larten remarked, "I will always look after you because I promised Seba that I would do so."**

 **"I appreciate that Larten, I know how much that you love me and I have never questioned it either," I added, "By the way I wear your rings with honour and they are stunning."**

 **"I am pleased to hear that you like them, it is just unfortunate for us that we did not take part in the ceremony, the ceremony is meant to accompany the rings in question after all." Larten replied.**

 **"I understand, however hosting a ceremony like this would not be a good idea whils there is a war going on. The Princes have enough to do without preparing for a Blessed Mateship, besides our unique circumstances make it difficult to hold such a ceremony." I stated.**

 **"Yes, we really should get this whole thing sorted out once and for all. It is my fault, if I had not have left or handed you over then none of this would have happened. I have noticed how you look at Prince Mika, however you also look at me in the same way. I know that the love you are feeling for Prince Mika is real because I can see it in your eyes," Larten informed us,**

 **"You are correct, the love that I feel for both of you is very real and strong. It is proving impossible for me to pick one of you as my mate, even if you did duel against each other on the Bars I still couldn't choose between you and that is the truth." I concluded.**

 **"I guess that we will have to share you equally, there is no other viable option if a duel won't solve our issue." Prince Mika stated plainly.**

 **"That is all you can do, I cannot think of another option short of picking one of you over the other." I acknowledged.**

 **"It is not our custom to share mates, I am not comfortable with the idea at all." Larten said stiffly.**

 **"I understand perfectly how awkward you must be feeling right now Larten, it is my fault because as a Prince I should have known better than to get involved with your mate. I couldn't help it, one kiss from Zara's lips and I was hooked on her." Prince Mika admitted to Larten.**

 **"When I first met Zara she was the mate of Kurda, I took one look at her and at that moment I knew that Zara would become my mate. I was determined to succeed no matter the cost, when Kurda asked me if he could hand Zara over to me I could not refuse his request. When Kurda betrayed us I was shocked and I could not believe it, then I thought of Zara and at that point I knew that she would need my protection. If I was not there to defend Zara then she would have been left mate-less, mentor-less and alone," Larten remarked, then he added, "I could not allow Zara to be left fending for herself at such a young age, when we mated for the first time I felt energy that I have never felt before and I knew that I was doing the right thing."**

 **"Our hearts and minds touched along with our bodies, that much is for certain." I acknowledged.**

 **"I agree with you because I felt it too." Larten stated plainly.**

 **"We were very much in love with each other." I admitted.**

 **"I am still in love with you Zara, by the way you promised me that you would not break my heart, however despite this fact my heart was broken when I witnessed you and Prince Mika kissing." Larten acknowledged, he sounded sad and hurt.**

 **"I'm sorry if you feel that way, it was never my intention to hurt you at all, after everything you've done for me I should have shown you more respect." I declared.**

 **"What is done is done, it cannot be altered." Prince Mika remarked, he was right to say this but it didn't change the fact that I had hurt Larten. I felt terrible but there was nothing that I could do about it.**

 **"Is there anything that I can do? I feel like I must fix your broken heart Larten." I asked humbly.**

 **"The damage has been done, I am not prepared to waste any more of my time on trying to salvage our mateship agreement either. You have demonstrated to me that you do not love me, if you loved me then you would have chosen me straight away." Larten clarified, he sounded like he was serious.**

 **"I am wearing** _ **your**_ **rings Larten." I reiterated.**

 **"So what if you are wearing my rings? You do not act as though they mean anything to you, if my rings meant anything to you then I would not have witnessed you kissing Prince Mika." Larten answered.**

 **"I've said I'm sorry, what more can I do?" I asked, now I felt really guilty.**

 **"As a Prince I must put the welfare of the Clan first before my own personal feelings, I should hand you back to Larten because he was your mate before I came along. Larten has a stronger claim to you than I do, it would not be right if I deprived Larten of his rightful mate because of my own feelings towards you." Prince Mika declared in his official tone.**

 **"But I love you Mika, I really do. I love you deeply too Larten, please believe me when I tell you this." I remarked honestly, I truly was in love with both of the vampires in question. I couldn't help it either, for I had bonded with both of them.**

 **I noticed that the vampiresses had all got changed out of their black dresses and veils, now they were wearing coloured dresses and hair pieces. One of the vampiresses was wearing a gold hair decoration, it had red gemstones set into it, it suited her because she had dark hair. I also had dark hair but I wore white gold instead of yellow gold. My hairclips made me look like I was wearing stars, each of my hairclips had little crystals set into it and they sparkled in the light. I had twisted my hair up into a bun and I was holding it in place with an elasticated hair bungee. The clips were used for decoration and they helped to hold the bun in place too, the last thing I needed was for my hair to come loose and look messy. I hated having messy hair, it wasn't very practical. I had considered cutting it, but I loved having hair that was halfway down my back in length. I was able to style my hair in lots of ways too, I usually wore it in a bun for special occasions but in general I would keep it tied back in a ponytail. Kurda used to help me style my hair because he also had long hair, in fact he would often tell me how to keep my hair in top condition.**

 **The gathering went on for ages and I had a great time, a lot of ale was consumed and so too was much of the wine. The vampires really couldn't fathom exactly how Larten had survived, they were however relieved to see him. The Clan were intrigued to hear Larten's story of how he had escaped from the pit of flaming stakes.**

 **"The luck of the vampires was with you, that's for sure," a vampire General named Stefan remarked, "I'm glad to see that you are alright."**

 **"We have been friends for a long time Stefan, I remember how you helped me to prepare for my Trials before Seba took over. Without you I would not have passed them," Larten answered, "We have faught together many times and we have shared quite a few barrels of ale."**

 **"Yes, indeed we have. I've lost count of how many barrels we've shared over the decades, there are still plenty more to go around too." Stefan stated as he helped himself to a big mug of ale that had been placed infront of him. I was content to share wine with Prince Mika and Larten, ale was not my favourite thing in the world taste wise. I was still coughing, luckily there was no fire in the hall where we had gathered so the air wasn't smokey, I took some more of my medicine and I ate something as well because I had drunk a lot of wine. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is never a good idea, it is better to eat a good meal and then drink afterwards because food absorbs alcohol. You don't get quite so drunk if you eat before you drink alcoholic beverages. I had some soup followed by a small joint of roasted meat, I wasn't sure what meat it was but it tasted good. I gave some of the meat to Diesel and he wolfed it down, I also gave him some water. Milk would have upset Diesel's stomach due to the lactose that was in it, the last thing I needed to do was clean up after a puppy with an upset stomach.**

 **I put Diesel on the floor under the table and I gave him a small bone that he could gnaw on, his adult teeth were coming through and gnawing on bones was good for him. His puppy teeth were like little needles, they were really sharp. I knew this to be the case because Diesel had given me a couple of playful nips, they didn't hurt me but I could still feel his teeth on my skin. I loved Diesel and I wouldn't have swapped him for the world, I was looking forward to Diesel growing up and then I could start training him to do useful things for me. I had already taught him to sit and lie down, however getting him to stay was a tricky one especially when there were so many distractions around. Diesel ended up running all over the place, he wanted to say hello to everybody and the majority of the Clan were happy to scoop Diesel up and cuddle him or stroke him, they were also careful that they didn't step on him because he was rather small. Diesel was good company for me when Prince Mika wasn't around.**

 **I felt lonely sometimes, however I had spent most of my human life feeling the same way so I was used to it. It wasn't a good feeling to have, however I liked talking to people and I liked spending time with my friends but that wasn't always possible because we all had duties to do. Socialisation wasn't at the top of the agenda for most vampires, the majority of vampires were solitary beings who liked their own company.**

 **A few vampires had an assistant, a mate or both but that was down to them, I had assistants but I wasn't their mentor, for they had already been taught about the ways of the Clan and now they were working for the high ranking vampires. These assistants were the ones who delivered messages and they also served food and drinks to the Princes, they also did a lot of cleaning and organising, Seba was their boss and he kept them busy, he was responsible for them so if they messed up then he would be held responsible, it'd be him who'd have to put things right again.**

 **I always looked up to Seba, when Larten wasn't around I had turned to him for advice. Seba gave me advice whenever I asked for it, he was very wise and the Clan respected him, he could have quite easily been nominated as a Prince, however Seba had no desire to become a Vampire Prince.**

 **Seba took me outside, he showed me a safe path that I could use when I had to take Diesel for a walk. It was a large circuit with no forks so I couldn't get lost, it was easy to get confused out here and lose your way because all of the rocks and trees looked the same, especially at nighttime. You could start off on one path and end up on another, the last thing you wanted to do was get lost outside in a blizzard and not be able to find your way back to the entrance of the mountain's underground tunnels.**

 **I completed a circuit of the safe path that I was on, it was quite a long way but that was good because Diesel would need lots of exercise as he grew bigger. I watched as Diesel sniffed at lots of rocks, he peed on a couple of them which is exactly what I wanted him to do. The last thing I needed was to clean up after Diesel if he had an accident inside my quarters. I decided to walk Diesel at least twice every night, I'd also let him outside to have a pee every few hours so that he wouldn't need to pee inside the mountain, he wouldn't need to do his other business inside either as long as I walked him regularly and didn't overfeed him.**

 **Diesel had given me something to focus upon, he gave me a reason to go outside and get some fresh air. When I had been confined to the Medical Wing Diesel had curled up next to me and kept me warm, the Medical Wing had no heating as such and even my vampire blood had its limits when it came to keeping warm, I had to feed regularly in order to keep energised, however I would sometimes forget to feed because I was so busy with my duties.**

 **Larten would keep track of how often I fed, if I hadn't drunk blood for a while then Larten would know about it and he'd remind me to feed, it wasn't as though I didn't want to feed either because I had no issues with drinking blood, it was just the fact that the blood on offer in the mountain wasn't always very nice taste wise, it put me off drinking it because it wasn't that fresh. I mentioned this to Larten but he had rebuked me, he told me that the taste was irrelevant as long as it wasn't sour.**

 **I told Prince Mika about the poor quality of the blood that had been brought up from the storerooms, I told him that the Clan deserved better, even the non-ranked vampires deserved fresher blood than what was available to them currently. Prince Mika agreed with me and he made the Generals throw out all of the blood that wasn't at its best, then the barrels were washed and refilled with fresher blood that tasted better. It wasn't as good as what the Princes had access to of course, however it was a vast improvement to what had been on offer beforehand.**

 **"I'm glad you sorted out the blood supplies, the last time I drunk some before the old stuff was chucked away it tasted rank. I spat it out, I could have sworn that it was almost sour, the last thing I want to do is drink soured, bad blood," I said to Prince Mika when we were in the Hall of Princes.**

 **"I'm glad that you brought it to my attention, as you know sour blood will make you sick if you drink it," Prince Mika remarked, then he said, "I drunk sour blood once and I was sick for almost a week, ever since then I've been careful about where I source my blood from. I never drink anything that is more than four hours old if I can help it, luckily the Princes have a constant supply of fresh blood on offer to them."**

 **"Just the smell of slightly sour blood makes me want to vomit, I'm really sensitive to it. At least I have access to fresh blood whilst I'm in here with you, Larten doesn't care so much about how blood tastes, he'll drink blood that is on the edge of being sour but I won't touch it. I only drink directly from a vein or I'll drink from your personal supply and that's it, I find the blood that's on offer to the general population just isn't right. It isn't sour as such, it just tastes odd if that makes sense," I explained to Prince Mika, he was sat on his throne and I was on his lap.**

 **"I know what you mean, there is a big difference between the blood I drink now and the blood I used to have to drink before I was invested as a Prince. If you don't like the taste of the blood that is on offer to the regular Clan members then I'll share my personal supply with you, you are after all my mate and as such that entitles you to the very best of everything." Prince Mika concluded decisively, I loved it when he made decisions like this.**

 **"I'd like that, the last thing I want is to get ill from drinking stale blood. I have spent so much time in the Medical Wing, more than most of the Clan actually and that isn't good," I stated, "I'd better go now, I promised Larten that we'd hunt together this evening and I don't want to keep him waiting."**

 **"If that is what you've arranged then by all means go and I'll catch up with you later on, I have business to attend to anyway, a Prince's work is never done." Prince Mika sighed as I stood up, I kissed him and then I left to go and find Larten.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 11 The End of my Mateship Agreement**

 **I managed to locate Larten in the Hall of Khledon Lurt, he was dressed to go hunting because he was wearing dark coloured clothing. Dark clothing would blend in perfectly with the woodland that surrounded the mountain. I had also changed into my dark clothing, I didn't want my best clothes to get covered in blood for obvious reasons, I had been given a set of hunting clothes which would keep me both warm and camouflaged. I had a grey long sleeved top, a black pullover, black trousers, boots that came almost up to my knees, I also had my hunting knife in a sheathe that was attached to my waist. I had some leather body armour that I was wearing under my pullover, it was supposed to prevent me from being gored by antlers, horns or tusks, after all being gored wasn't on the agenda.**

 **Larten never bothered with armour unless he was actually going into battle, in fact most vampires thought that it made them look weak or afraid to face their enemies if they wore armour. In reality the sensible vampires wore armour underneath their clothing, that way it was hidden from their enemies and from their fellow Clan members.**

 **The Vampaneze never wore armour, they thought of it as shameful to guard themselves against their enemies, they believed that their strength alone was enough to see them through, Vampaneze can also withstand pain far beyond what any human could without their bodies going into shock, even if they're bleeding out or dying they'll still attempt to fight because that is who they are, the Vampaneze would never surrender even if their situation was hopeless and they were surrounded by vampires.**

 **I hadn't been hunting for a while. I had been in the Medical Wing for a long time, however I was feeling much better and I had regained my strength. My chest was back to normal and that was due in part to the fresh air that I'd been breathing in. I wasn't coughing nowhere near as much as I had been either, the medicine that I'd taken had worked wonders and I still had some of it left incase I needed it again in the future.**

 **"Are you ready to go?" Larten asked, he seemed keen to leave as soon as possible.**

 **"Yes, I'm ready. I doubt that we'll catch much before the dawn though, most animals are active at dusk and dawn after all," I commented.**

 **"Yes, that is usually the case. There are only a couple of hours of darkness left before the sun rises, if we are lucky we should be able to catch a stag when it comes out to feed in the early morning light. The sun will not be strong enough at that time to do us any damage, we will be back inside the mountain before the sunlight becomes too strong," Larten began, then he stated, "I have been hunting this way for a long time, you need to have a little bit more faith in me. I have enough knowledge to know when it is safe to go hunting, trust me when I say that if it were not a safe exercise then I would not have suggested it in the first instance."**

 **"I do trust you Larten, I was just curious about your choice of timing," I remarked quickly.**

 **"I always hunt at dusk and dawn, that is if I am not otherwise engaged with alternative activities." Larten replied, his eyebrows were raised.**

 **"Fair enough." I answered, then I followed Larten out of the mountain and into the woods. I could hear wolves howling as I walked, the woodland was home to many wolves and bears as well as other wild creatures. I wasn't scared at all, I was looking forward to taking part in a hunt and sharing a kill with Larten, if our hunt turned out to be a successful one then I'd get at least one good meal from it; the Clan would also benefit from our exploits.**

 **"What are we hunting for exactly? Do we want a deer or a wild boar?" I asked in a whisper, I was looking on the ground for deer tracks or other evidence of animal activity.**

 **"If we are lucky then we will be able to take down a stag, however I am not holding out much hope of locating one. I do not think that you could handle a wild boar on your own, for they are much stronger and heavier than they first appear. You are better off hunting for rabbits, hares, gamebirds and other things of that nature," Larten remarked, then he stopped dead in his tracks and I stood behind him wondering what the issue was.**

 **"What is it?" I whispered nervously.**

 **"A body." Larten replied simply.**

 **"A dead body?" I asked, "Vampaneze or vampire?"**

 **"Vampaneze by the looks of him, he has been dead for a while." Larten answered as he bent down to examine the body.**

 **"Then what is the issue?" I countered, "A dead Vampaneze is no threat to us is it?"**

 **"Not exactly, however if certain animals brought the corpse here and ate it or ate parts of it then the blood would make them go mad. The last thing we need are wild, rabid preditors living within the confines of the woodland which surrounds our mountain," Larten replied as he stood up again, he had been kneeling over the body.**

 **"That makes sense, do you see any evidence that the body has been eaten at all?" I queried hoping that the answer would be no.**

 **"Well the body is badly decomposed so it is hard to tell, I would not like to say one way or the other, however the Princes should be made aware of the potential danger as soon as possible." Larten declared, then he stepped over the body and motioned for me to follow him which I did. I looked down at the remains as I stepped over them, there wasn't much to see other than ragged clothing, exposed bones and some remnants of flesh. If not for the distinctive smell that was given off by the corpse it would have been hard to tell whether the body was that of a Vampaneze or not.**

 **Larten continued to lead me through the woodland, he seemed to know exactly where he was going even though I was unsure of our final location. I followed a couple of paces behind Larten, if the path had been wider I would have walked by his side but that wasn't possible. I had my knife drawn just incase, every so often I'd stop walking and listen, then I'd turn around to see if anything was behind me. I had been taught to be cautious and to listen out for any potential dangers such as bears. I would often be able to hear a bear coming even before I actually saw it, this is because I could hear the twigs snapping under its paws when it stepped on them, I also heard the leaves rustling as it moved through the trees, even if there wasn't any wind.**

 **Sometimes I would spot trees that had bear fur caught in their trunks, this is because the bears would use the trunks as a scratching post, they'd lose some fur in the process of rubbing themselves against the trunk. I had been taught to look out for signs like this, signs such as fur on a tree trunk could tell me how long it had been since a bear had last been in the area.**

 **I could also look out for other traces such as the remains of velvet which stags rub off their antlers, that not only told me what time of year it was but it also told me when stags were due to rut. The rut brought lots of stags into the vacinity, it also encouraged the does who were in season to visit the area and therefore the deer population would increase. The increasing deer population would ensure that the Clan had plenty of food even when other supplies were running low.**

 **"How much longer will it be before we can start to hunt? I'm getting hungry and the sky is not as dark as it was when we left," I remarked, hoping that we'd come across some kind of edible animal soon.**

 **"It will not be much longer, I am taking you to a patch of ground where the deer herd gathers, we will have to make sure that the wind is not blowing our scent towards them, if the deer smell us then they will run and that is not what we want," Larten explained, then he said reassuringly, "We have to get as close as we can to them before we strike. I know what I am doing."**

 **"I agree, I'll let you lead the way because you know what you're doing, I'm new to this because I normally go after rabbits or gamebirds, not deer," I added, "Deer are far too big for me to take down on my own."**

 **"Yes, that is why I am here to help you learn how to hunt. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise." Larten remarked in a hushed tone, then he made the sign for me to be quiet because we had reached the patch of ground where the deer were feeding. Larten led me to an ideal location where we could watch the deer, we were hidden behind a tree that had a massive trunk, it acted like a wind break. I watched as one of the deer came closer, its head was down because it was nibbling on what little grass it could find. I stood back, the deer looked up for a moment and then it carried on eating.**

 **Larten made his move as soon as the deer was no longer facing the tree that we were behind, he was so quick that one moment he was beside me and the next he was kneeling on the ground gutting the deer that he'd just killed.**

 **"Wow Larten, you were so fast. I've never seen anybody move that quickly before," I remarked, I could see the other deer fleeing but they weren't quick enough. I chased one down until it was exhausted, it was a doe and I managed to catch it, I wrestled it to the ground with Larten's help and then I slit its throat before it knew what it was happening.**

 **"That was not easy." I commented as Larten gutted the deer that I'd just caught.**

 **"No, it is not easy, however we all must eat to survive. You did remarkably well Zara, I am impressed," Larten replied, then he added, "Now we have to carry these carcasses back to the mountain where they will be cooked and served up to the Clan."**

 **"I agree, I might not be able to carry the carcass because it is an awkward shape, however I'll give it a go." I stated, I picked up the carcass of the doe, slung it over my shoulder and I started walking. I found it difficult at first because I hadn't carried a deer over my shoulder before, however I watched how Larten did it and then I copied him. The deer wasn't as heavy as I'd first thought, however I had to carry it quite a distance, by the time I reached the kitchens my shoulders were dead and they hurt a lot. It was a relief to put the deer carcass down and rest for a while. I sat on a chair and I didn't move for ages, I was letting my body recover because carrying the deer had used a lot of energy. Larten was used to carrying heavy carcasses, after all he was much stronger than I was and he also had much broader shoulders than I had too.**

 **I sat by the fire in the hall because I was cold and the heat was good for my sore muscles. A lot of the vampires were asleep because it was light outside, I was awake but that was because I had only recently got back from my hunting trip, Larten had retired to his quarters already and I was alone in the hall. I had the option of going to Larten's quarters and disturbing him which he wouldn't have appreciated at all, I decided to go to the Hall of Princes where Prince Mika would be, after all I didn't want to wake Larten up and annoy him even though I missed sleeping in his arms. I went to the Hall of Princes, most of the Clan were asleep, however the Guards were still on duty outside the entrance to the Hall of Princes, they searched me first as it was customary for security reasons and then I was admitted into the Princes' Dome itself, I flashed my talisman at the Guards for good measure as the doors were opened to admit me. When I entered the Hall of Princes I saw that Prince Mika was having a heated discussion with Prince Arrow, it wasn't unusual for Princes to argue but I hadn't witnessed it before in person.**

 **"Have I come at a bad time Sire?" I asked as I bowed to Prince Arrow and Prince Mika in turn.**

 **"No, we were just discussing the right way to prepare meat. I think that it should be roasted and basted during the roasting process, however Prince Arrow thinks that it should be actually cooked in a sauce rather than just being basted," Prince Mika explained, then he asked me, "What do you think?"**

 **"When it comes to cooking meat I think that both of these ways are perfectly acceptable, if you cook meat slowly and baste it then you'll get a rich, roasted flavour. If however you choose to cook your meat in a sauce then the sauce will soak into the meat, this will add extra flavour as well as making it tender," I responded, then I concluded the conversation by saying, "Personally I have no objections to eating meat that has been cooked in either of these two ways."**

 **"I don't even know why we're discussing such trivial matters, as Princes we have far more important things to organise than how to cook meat, cooking isn't even on our duty list." Prince Arrow stated plainly.**

 **"I have no idea either, too much ale is the likely cause as to why we had this conversation, after all we have consumed rather a lot of it recently," Prince Mika remarked, then he stood up and stretched, "I'm going to my quarters now, I have a lot of work to do and I need my sleep."**

 **"I think I'll turn in for the day too, after all the the work of a Prince is never done." Prince Arrow concluded, then he yawned and headed off to his private quarters. Prince Mika took me by the hand and he led me to his own quarters, I was shattered so all I wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep.**

 **I got undressed and I lay down in Prince Mika's coffin, I turned on my side and I adjusted myself until I was comfortable. I pulled Prince Mika's blue robe over me in place of a blanket, then Prince Mika fetched some fur covers and he draped those over both of us, I folded the blue robe up and placed it on Prince Mika's side of the coffin. I adjusted the fur covers until I was snuggled underneath them, Prince Mika put his arms around me and I rested my head upon his muscular chest, I sighed and ran my fingers along the outline of his abdominal muscles, they were warm and his skin was soft, it was also very pale but that didn't bother me at all. Some of Prince Mika's hair was on his chest so I played with it, he leant in and kissed me and as he kissed me I placed my left hand on his neck. I was too exhausted to mate, however when it came to sharing a kiss I had no objection to it whatsoever. I enjoyed kissing Prince Mika, he made me feel all gooey inside as if I were a dessert of some kind and my whole body came alive.**

 **"I love you Mika, I really do and I mean that," I stated plainly.**

 **"I know you love me, I love you too but this whole situation needs to be fixed because we cannot keep living like this, it isn't fair on Larten, it isn't fair on me and it makes life difficult for you as well," Prince Mika replied, "I just want you to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted for you because you had a rubbish start in life."**

 **"I had a terrible life before Kurda came along, if I'm being honest he saved me, however he betrayed us and I'll never, ever forgive him for that. I sometimes wish that he hadn't been so stupid, if only he hadn't gone ahead with his plan then he'd still be alive, Arra would be alive and we wouldn't have the issues with the Vampaneze that we've got now, I'd still be his mate and I wouldn't find myself struggling to choose between yourself and Larten," I remarked, "I am always asking myself why Kurda did what he did, I just don't get why he'd throw his life away, cause an unecessary battle and as for murdering Gavner Purl that was just cruel and completely unjustifiable."**

 **"I cannot for the life of me understand it either, however the past is the past. We can only look forward to the future because the past cannot be changed, nor should we waste time dwelling upon it." Prince Mika reminded me, he sounded official now.**

 **"I guess you're right Mika, we cannot change the events which have already taken place, the only thing to do is honour our fallen comrades and make sure that their good standing remains in place." I concluded, then I settled down into Prince Mika's arms, I pulled the fur covers over me and I drifted off into an uneasy sleep, I still had nightmares because of my past and they were awful. I often tossed and turned around when I was asleep due to my nightmares, sometimes I'd wake up shaking and sweating, other times I'd mumble things in my sleep. I knew that these things were true because Larten had told me about them and he'd moaned at me for disturbing his sleep, it wasn't my fault but he'd found it annoying nevertheless.**

 **When I woke up next to Prince Mika I felt warm and contented, I wasn't sure what the time was (vampire mountain doesn't have any clocks) but I figured that I'd been asleep for hours, it certainly felt that way and my shoulders weren't hurting as much as they had been either. I looked up, then I realised that the coffin lid was closed so I opened it up. Prince Mika's quarters had a small hole in the roof that was used to let the smoke out when he had his fire lit. If I looked up at it I could see the sky through the hole, the colour of the sky would tell me if it was nighttime or not. I stared at the hole in the ceiling, I saw the light of a star shining through it so I knew that it was time to get up. I slowly untangled myself because Prince Mika had his arm around me and I didn't want to disturb him. I stood up quietly and got myself dressed, I had stored some of my clothing in Prince Mika's quarters because he had a chest. I searched through the chest until I found a suitable dress, I didn't want to wear anything too fancy because it wasn't a special occasion, however as Prince Mika's mate I had to look a certain way. I put my customary dark blue dress on, I fixed my hair and I made sure that Prince Mika's talisman was on prominent display.**

 **When I was dressed I went and had something to eat, I was starving. I ate at the table in the Hall of Princes, I couldn't be bothered to walk all the way down the tunnel to where the food was normally served. After I'd eaten I went back to Prince Mika's quarters, he was still asleep and I knew that he had business to attend to so I woke him up. Prince Mika wasn't best pleased with me, however when he realised how late it was he understood why I'd disturbed him. Prince Mika got himself dressed and then he went to catch up on his business, I was left to fend for myself because he had a lot of work to do.**

 **I went to the Halls of Sport, I watched a couple of wrestling matches but there wasn't much going on, now that the council was over there weren't that many vampires in the mountain either. Whilst I was in the Halls of Sport I heard familar voices behind me, I turned around and there was Seba Nile chatting away to Vanez Blaine. At least I wasn't alone in here now, the vampires who had wrestled each other had gone to the Medical Wing to get patched up so there weren't any games taking place at all. I was bored out of my brains, I didn't know how to entertain myself whilst Prince Mika was attending to his work.**

 **I must have been standing in the Halls of Sport for about fifteen or twenty minutes when an idea came into my mind, I would go and find Larten because he'd know how to keep my occupied for a while. I left the Halls of Sport and went to the Hall of Khledon Lurt in the hope that Larten would be in there, he wasn't. I searched the Hall of Osca Velm next and the Hall of Perta Vin-Grahl but Larten was nowhere to be seen. I figured that he must have gone hunting again, he liked to hunt frequently, also one of his duties was to provide food for the Princes by hunting so that they always had lots of culinery options to choose from.**

 **I went back to the Hall of Baker Wrent, this was the proper name for one of the Halls of Sport, the others were called the Hall of Oceen Pird and the Hall of Rush Flon'x. One of the Halls of Sport was used more for training rather than actual games or matches, after all newly blooded vampires needed a space to train where they wouldn't get in the way of actual tournaments or competitions.**

 **I must have been hanging around the Halls of Sport for ages, I was bored because there was nothing happening match wise, I heard Vanez telling his assistant to fix some of the equipment because Vanez was blind, instead of sight he used his senses of hearing, smell and touch to navigate the tunnels and he did pretty well at it too. Vanez also refused to use any form of cane even though it had been suggested to him several times. I stayed in the Halls of Sport and I helped Vanez's assistant to fix a few things, we also had to rearrange some of the weapon racks because they'd been put in the wrong places. We (Vanez's assistant and I) had to drag the weapon racks across the floor, there were wheels on the bottom of each rack which made moving them easier, however they were very heavy and it took us quite a while to put them back into their correct positions. When had finished helping to move the weapon racks I sat down on a chair and rested, after all I had helped to move a lot of heavy objects around, it had taken us a couple of hours to complete the task and by the time we'd finished I was thirsty and tired.**

 **I went to the Hall of Khledon Lurt and grabbed myself a mugful of cold milk, I downed it and had another one pretty soon after I'd finished the first. I hadn't been in the Hall of Khledon Lurt for very long when I finally saw Larten, when he spotted me he came over to where I was sitting and he sat down, he'd got himself a bowl of bat broth (which I couldn't stomach) and a tankard of ale.**

 **"I am glad that you are here," Larten stated before drinking some of the ale, "I have been busy so I was unable to speak to you earlier. I do hope that you were not too lonely whilst I was gone,"**

 **"No, actually I was helping Vanez out in the Halls of Sport. Some idiot put the weapon racks away in the wrong places, as a result of this Vanez's assistant and myself had to help him move them back to where they belong," I answered as I helped myself to yet more cold milk.**

 **"At least you have been making yourself useful, that is a good thing. I cannot stand it is idle or lazy behaviour," Larten remarked, "You may technically be the mate of Prince Mika, however that does not excuse you from pulling your weight."**

 **"I understand that Larten, that is why I've just spent the better part of two hours assisting Vanez by rearranging the weapon racks," I countered, then I added, "I may be Prince Mika's mate, however I am not lazy and if somebody needs my help then I'll help them."**

 **"That is good to know, at least you understand how our Clan heirachy works and how we run things." Larten said with an approving nod in my direction.**

 **"I'd never do anything to make you look bad Larten, I know important it is to have good standing within the Clan," I commented, "I know my place, don't worry."**

 **"Zara, your place is with your mate, I have been doing a lot of thinking and I have come to the conclusion that you are better off with Prince Mika as your mate. As much as I love you and although the bond we share is very strong I cannot help but notice how you look at him, he also showers you with far more public affection than I do and it is clear to me that your bond with him is a close one. For these reasons I have decided to terminate our mateship agreement, if you wish to mate with me again in the future then I will accept you, however as things stand I cannot be your mate. I hope you can understand my reasons for doing this and I hope that you are not too upset by my decision." Larten explained, I didn't quite know how to respond so I sat quietly for a few minutes and thought about things. Deep down I knew that Larten had done the right thing, he'd saved me from having to make an almost impossible decision between himself and Prince Mika, however it still hurt. The thought of not being with Larten killed me inside, but I knew that I was in love with Prince Mika. I also understood that it wasn't fair on Prince Mika to have Larten as my mate at the same time as him, despite how strongly I felt about him.**

 **"Larten, I understand completely where you are coming from and I respect your wishes. If you no longer want to be my mate then I shall return your rings and we will be only close friends to one another," I said in response, then a couple of tears ran down my cheeks because I was very emotional. I removed the rings that Larten had given to me and I gave them back to him, after all I had no need to wear Larten's rings when I wasn't going to become pledged to him with intent.**

 **"You are very mature for such a young woman," Larten remarked, then he added, "I have no desire to take your rings from you, after all I gave them to you as a gift."**

 **"Very well, I shall keep them on a chain around my neck. I think that Prince Mika will want to give me a ring soon. I cannot possibly wear your rings and his ring at the same time," I replied, "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to do that."**

 **"No, it would not." Larten agreed. I sat at the table with Larten for quite a while, it was hard for me to be close to him now. I tried to control my emotions, I wanted so much just to hold Larten's hand under the table but I knew that wouldn't be suitable behaviour.**

 **"I'm hurting," I said calmly, "I have got very strong feelings for you after all."**

 **"I can understand that, it will take a while for you to heal emotionally but you will be alright, I am sure that Prince Mika will be there for you when you need him." Larten replied with almost no emotion in his voice at all.**

 **"How can you sit there and be so emotionless?" I asked, I wanted to know.**

 **"Emotions are something which I have learnt to control over a long period of time, it takes practice. I am not emotionless, I can after all feel emotions but I simply choose not to display them as much as you do." Larten responded, he could clearly see how much I was struggling with this whole situation but he didn't do anything about it.**

 **"I can't stay here any longer, just looking at you is too much for me to bare because of how I feel about you," I admitted, I stood up and started walking away. I turned and looked at him, our eyes met for a moment and then I left the Hall of Khledon Lurt, my heart was broken and I felt like a big part of me was missing.**

 **I went to see Prince Mika pretty soon after I'd walked out of the Hall of Khledon Lurt, I knew that by now he would have completed his business and that he'd be free. I walked down the tunnel that led to the Hall of Princes, Prince Mika's talisman was flashing in the light from the torches that were lit so it could be seen clearly. The Guards stopped me and searched me as per usual, I was used to it by now.**

 **"State your business." one of the Guards said after he'd finished searching me.**

 **"I'd like to see my mate Prince Mika, I'm Madam Ver Leth." I replied casually, "Here is my talisman as proof that I am the true mate of Prince Mika."**

 **"Very well, you may pass." the Guard said after he'd examined my talisman to make sure that it was the genuine article. I walked down the tunnel confidently, when I reached the doors I saw that they were closed. I didn't wait for long, Prince Arrow exited the Hall of Princes so I walked in as he was leaving. I saw that Prince Mika was sitting on his throne, he looked relaxed and he was drinking from a tankard when I saw him.**

 **"There you are Zara, I've missed you. I was about to come and find you actually," Prince Mika said, before asking, "Are you OK? You seem upset."**

 **"It is hard for me to explain," I began, "I'm hurting because Larten has terminated his mateship agreement with me, although I am actually your mate I still have strong feelings for Larten."**

 **"I see," Prince Mika remarked, "I hope that I'll be able to make you feel better because you are my mate and I love you, I hate seeing you cry because I only want you to be truly happy, whether you find that happiness with me or Larten is up to you, I cannot tell you how to feel after all."**

 **"I'm in love with both of you," I admitted honestly, "When I'm with you I miss Larten and when I'm with him I can't stop thinking about you."**

 **"I don't know what to suggest Zara, I was actually thinking about asking you to become my pledged mate with intent because I love you that much," Prince Mika revealed, then he asked, "How do you feel about that?"**

 **"I was supposed to be pledged to Larten with intent, however he has ended our mateship agreement. I honestly can't see any reason why we cannot become pledged to each other if that's that what you want." I answered, I felt happier now.**

 **"I understand, I'll make the necessary arrangements. We can't become Blessed Mates until after the war is over, however I can at least make you my pledged mate." Prince Mika agreed, then he kissed me and I kissed him back. We kissed for a while, there was nobody in the Hall of Princes except for us so it didn't matter that we were kissing. As we kissed I wondered how and when Prince Mika was going to propose to me, as he was a Vampire Prince I was sure that he'd make it a proposal to remember. I decided that I would accept the proposal, however in the depths of my heart I loved Larten and I knew that he loved me as well.**

 **We left the Hall of Princes because Prince Mika was hungry, he'd been working hard for a while on tactics and other war related business, we walked to the Hall of Khledon Lurt because the main meal of the evening was being served. I'd eaten recently but Prince Mika hadn't, however I was happy to spend some quality time with him. I noticed that Larten was still in the Hall of Khledon Lurt when we arrived, I sat at the Princes' High Table with Prince Mika and then the evening meal was served not long afterwards. Prince Arrow was also sitting with us, he tucked into a piece of beef that had been slow cooked in wine and it smelt really appetising. Prince Mika had a whole duck to himself, I poured some wine from a jug into a goblet and I drunk it because I wasn't really that hungry.**

 **"Can I get you anything to eat?" one of the vampires who was serving the food asked me.**

 **"I ate not long ago actually, I'm alright. I would however like some more wine please," I replied politely, the wine was rather good tasting but I didn't drink too much of it because it was strong.**

 **"As you wish, will that be all?" the unknown vampire asked me.**

 **"Yes, that's all for now thanks." I answered plainly just before the vampire disappeared.**

 **"It is good to have so many Clan members who are willing to assist us, I like being waited upon," I stated to Prince Mika who was wiping his hands on a handkerchief, he'd eaten the duck without any cutlery.**

 **"I'm sure you do, it never used to be like this though. There was a time when the Princes had to serve themselves, they got to pick whatever they liked but nobody brought it to them," Prince Arrow remarked as Prince Mika drank ale from his tankard.**

 **"Every Prince for themselves?" I queried, I was curious to learn more about our Clan's history.**

 **"Pretty much, now it is done differently because we have enough assistants, in the past our Clan was smaller and vampires didn't live that long, the Vampaneze hadn't broken away from us at the time but they were on the brink of doing so, every vampire had to go to battle and hardly any came back. The Princes were so pre-occupied with the battle strategy that they barely left the Hall of Princes, the only time they left was to go and fight or to use the WC. As a result of this the Princes started having blood and meals delievered to the Hall of Princes so that they could work and eat at the same time, that is when the dynamic changed and the Princes began to recruit vampire assistants to serve them their meals and it stuck." Prince Mika answered, then he called for some more ale just as the vampire who'd gone to fetch my wine turned up.**

 **"Do you want an ale?" Prince Mika asked Prince Arrow.**

 **"I never say no to an ale, you know that Mika." Prince Arrow replied.**

 **"Zara, ale?" Prince Arrow offered.**

 **"Not for me thanks, I have wine. Wine and ale don't mix." I replied as I poured myself some of the wine that had just been brought to me.**

 **"Is there any venison available?" Prince Mika asked.**

 **"Larten and I hunted yesterday, we brought back two deer but whether the kitchen staff have roasted them or not is another matter, was the duck not enough for you?" I asked.**

 **"That was like a starter, venison is the main course. One duck couldn't possibly fill me up, there's hardly any meat on them," Prince Mika answered, "I do enjoy a bit of rabbit but rabbits are scarce at this time of year, gamebirds and wild ducks are however in plentiful supply. We also have lamb, beef and wild boar available."**

 **"No fish?" I queried.**

 **"Not unless we go fishing, we don't have a pond or we'd breed them for the table too." Prince Arrow interjected.**

 **"I understand, I'm happy to eat whatever I can get. I'm not fussy when it comes to meat, if it is hot and fresh I'll eat it," I stated, "I am a proper carnivore, I haven't eaten a vegetable since before I was blooded, I do eat wild mountain berries but only when they're available."**

 **"You're a true vampiress, that much is obvious." Prince Mika said, praising me.**

 **"I've got a very good mentor, what can I say?" I acknowledged, "Seba has taught me so much and he's never turned his back on me once."**

 **"Seba is a very good mentor, he is both wise and fair minded," Prince Mika told me, "This Clan would be nothing without our Quartermaster."**

 **"I couldn't agree with you more, he should be invested as a Vampire Prince, if anybody deserves that honour then he does," I added, I hoped that the other two Princes would agree with me.**

 **"I agree, however Seba Nile has no desire to become a Vampire Prince or he'd already be one," Prince Arrow reiterated, "We have after all spoken to him many times about this subject."**

 **"Seba told me the same thing when I asked him if he'd ever considered it, I think he thinks that nobody else can do his job up to his precise standards, being a Quartermaster isn't an easy task." I concluded, I knew that the other Princes would agree with me.**

 **"No, it isn't an easy job. We're very grateful to Seba for everything that he does for us," Prince Mika acknowledged, "Without Seba our storerooms would be in a complete and utter mess and we'd no clue where to find anything either."**

 **"That's true, vampires aren't the tidiest of creatures, I mean most of us are bachelors and you know how bachelors tend to live. I dread to think what would happen if we did routine inspections of the occupied Quarters," Prince Arrow chuckled, "There'd be a few shocks in store, that much is for certain."**

 **"That's putting it mildly Arrow," Prince Mika snorted, "Could you imagine what we'd find?"**

 **"I don't want to imagine it," I said quickly, "The Quarters are kept private for a reason."**

 **"At least I keep my Quarters in a reasonable state, my assistants keep them in order for me and they wash my robes regularly too," Prince Arrow countered, "Not all of the vampires have Quarters that are as clean as mine, in fact most of them are probably filthy."**

 **"I also keep my Quarters clean, Zara will testify to that fact," Prince Mika added, "Personally I like everything to be neat and tidy, I hate mess."**

 **"Yes, your Quarters are very clean. I wouldn't sleep in them otherwise." I replied.**

 **"Well that isn't strictly true is it? Don't pretend that you're in there sleeping because I've heard you, I know what you do and sleeping isn't a part of it," Prince Arrow scoffed, "I'm not stupid, nor am I deaf and my Quarters are next to yours."**

 **"I'll admit that sleeping isn't our only activity, however what else do you expect? We are mates after all," I remarked, I was slightly embarrased by Prince Arrow's comment.**

 **"I'd prefer it if you weren't so vocal, you don't hear my mate and I when we're together do you?" Prince Arrow asked, I wasn't sure if he was being serious or sarcastic.**

 **"I hear some things but I don't intentionally listen to it, however I'm happy that you have a mate," I admitted, "I can understand your point though and I'll try to control myself in future." Prince Arrow nodded in reply to my last comment, then he finished off his ale and left the Princes' High Table.**

 **I decided to leave the Hall of Khledon Lurt because I had to walk Diesel, I wanted to walk him before the weather changed again and he probably needed to have a pee. He was asleep by my feet, however as soon as I stood up he woke up and started yapping at me.**

 **"Alright, alright I'll take you outside, come on then, let's go." I said to Diesel as I put my cloak on, it was freezing outside after all. Diesel headed straight for the exit, he knew where he was going and he sat down at the end of the tunnel until I arrived. I needed to get a collar and a lead for him but I wasn't sure if the mountain had such things. I decided to ask Seba if he had anything that I could make one from, I was sure that he'd have some spare material knocking around somewhere that I could use.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 12: Broken Bones**

 **After I'd finished eating and drinking I decided to leave the Hall of Khledon Lurt because I had to walk Diesel, I wanted to walk him before the weather changed again and he probably needed to have a pee. He was asleep by my feet, however as soon as I stood he promptly woke up and started yapping at me.**

 **"Alright, alright I'll take you outside, come on then, let's go." I said to Diesel as I put my cloak on, it was freezing outside after all. Diesel headed straight for the exit, he knew where he was going and he sat down at the end of the tunnel until I arrived. I needed to get a collar and a lead for him but I wasn't sure if the mountain had such things. I decided to ask Seba if he had anything that I could make one from, I was sure that he'd have some spare material knocking around somewhere that I could use. I didn't like the idea of taking Diesel outside without any way of controlling where he could and couldn't go, after all he was only a puppy. It didn't matter that Diesel was a half wolf crossbreed either because I didn't want him to get into any trouble. I always kept an eye on Diesel and I only ever took him on the circuit path that Seba had shown me, I wasn't confident enough to go exploring alone and Diesel wasn't very big either.**

 **If anything happened to me whilst I was outside I had no protection, my only option was to head back inside the entrance to the Hall of Khledon Lurt. I could actually defend myself quite well, however I couldn't defend myself and protect Diesel at the same time. I never stayed outside for long on my own, I liked the fresh air but there were wild creatures that could quite easily kill me if I ran into them, after all bears and wild boars were common in this part of the world.**

 **I had also been warned about cougars, however they were extremely rare and they hardly ever showed their faces here, the closest anybody could get to one would be pawprints in the snow and even that was a very unusual occurance. Cougars are native to North America and I was in Eastern Europe, at least I thought I was in Eastern Europe but I wasn't sure at all which countries Vampire Mountain's borders were located in.**

 **It was very possible that human hunters and fur trappers had destroyed the native wild cat population when they settled here during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It wasn't likely that I'd see a cougar out here, however I had taken Seba's warning about them seriously. I would have been a fool if I'd ignored Seba's advice, after all he was very wise and he'd lived at Vampire Mountain for over four hundred years at least. I was certain that Seba had seen a cougar or two during his time as Quartermaster, he wouldn't have warned me about them otherwise, at least I don't think he would have mentioned cougars to me without a good reason to do so.**

 **I must have walked Diesel for a good half hour or so when the wind picked up and the temperature dropped, it was at this point that I headed back to the entrance tunnel. I was cold and the wind wasn't just blowing now, in fact it was producing great big gusts of icy cold air that chilled me to my core. My vampire blood kept me from freezing solid, however by the time I was almost at the entrance to the underground part of the mountain I was struggling to feel my fingers. I wasn't even sure what time of the year it was, it seemed like it was always Wintertime here no matter what month we were in.**

 **On the way back to the entrance I looked at the trees that were on either side of the circuit path that I'd been using, some of them had fruit on and others were nut trees. I decided to gather some because I loved wild fruit and nuts, I had been taught how to forage for wild food and I knew which mushrooms were safe to consume too. Larten had taught me a lot about wild food and where to find food when it wasn't readily available. I saw that the fruit trees were full of plums, I didn't have a basket but I did have a spare clean sack that I'd been carrying, I had it with me in case I needed to pick up after Diesel and dispose of his waste somewhere. As it turned out Diesel had done his business under a hedgerow so I didn't need to pick it up, it would have been different if he'd done it on the middle of the path for example.**

 **I opened the sack and I held onto it as I climbed up one of the trees, I dug my right hand nails into the trunk so that I wouldn't fall whilst I reached out and picked the plums with my left hand. It wasn't easy but the plums looked so perfect that I couldn't resist climbing up a bit higher to grab some really big ones, I reached out to grab the dangling plums and as I did so a really big gust of wind unbalanced me, I was standing on a branch that wasn't very wide. In order to reach the biggest plums I'd had to remove my nails from the trunk of the tree, I had manged to grab a single plum and put it into the sack I was holding and as I went to grab another one a second gust of wind swept me clean off of the branch that I was standing on, I tried to land on my feet but I failed and instead I landed awkwardly and something snapped. I was holding onto the sack of plums as I fell so they'd landed with a thud, I wasn't sure if they'd be totally squashed or just bruised. I wasn't concerned about the plums, I was more worried about my own awkward landing because something wasn't right and that was certain. I tried to stand up but I felt dizzy and my arm hurt a lot, I couldn't move my wrist either, when I had tried to move it the pain was unreal.**

 **The temperature was dropping and I knew that if I didn't get warm soon then I would be in serious trouble. I tried to stand up once again but my leg wouldn't support me, I looked at my knee and I noted that it was sticking out at an odd angle. I had probably dislocated it somehow, I didn't know what to do but panicking wasn't the answer. Diesel was sitting next to me, I figured that maybe he could raise the alarm and get help.**

 **"Diesel speak," I commanded, I thought that his loud howling would be heard because wolf howls can be heard from over a mile away, I wasn't actually that far away from the entrance and even though Diesel was only half wolf he could still howl clearly.**

 **"Diesel, speak," I said again, this time I had more urgency in my tone. As luck would have it there were a pack of wolves howling not far away from me, I howled too and then Diesel started howling non stop, even after the wild wolves had finished Diesel continued to howl loudly into the wind. I hoped that the wind would carry the sound of the howling back towards the tunnel entrance, Diesel's howling sounded very different to a wolf's howl, Diesel had a high pitched howl and high pitches were not a problem for vampires hearing wise. Diesel wouldn't stop howling either, I hoped that one of the vampires who guarded the entrance would come and investigate the source of the non-stop howling, it was part of their duties to investigate strange or unusual noises especially when they continued for a prolonged period of time. I tried not to move because I was injured, I didn't want my injuries to get any worse.**

 **Eventually I heard voices in the distance, I threw a stick for Diesel with my good arm in the direction of where the voices were coming from, I knew that he'd fetch the stick and bring it back to me and in doing so he'd hopefully lead whoever was out there back to my location.**

 **"Diesel, fetch," I said and he ran off in the direction of where I'd thrown the stick. When Diesel brought it back to me I threw it again as far as I could manage. Once again Diesel shot off in the direction of where I'd thrown the stick, I could hear him howling and yapping excitedly and then a few minutes later he was back holding the stick in his jaws.**

 **"Diesel, speak," I muttered, I was getting very cold and I barely had any energy left. Diesel started howling again, he howled and howled as if our lives depended upon it. I thought I saw figures in the distance but I wasn't certain at all.**

 **"Help me, somebody please help me!" I cried out at the top of my lungs, I used all of my remaining energy to cry out in case there were figures in the distance that could hear me. The wind had died down but it was freezing nevertheless, Diesel was still howling when I heard voices calling my name.**

 **"Zara, are you out here?" a voice called out.**

 **"I'm over here," I called back as clearly as I could.**

 **"Where?" the voice replied, "I can't see you."**

 **"I'm by the fruit trees on the circuit path." I answered weakly, I was completely exhausted by this point in time.**

 **"By the what?" the voice remarked, then I heard somebody say, "I can't hear you clearly, say it again,"**

 **"I'm by the plum trees on the circuit path," I repeated as best as I could.**

 **"The plum trees?" the voice echoed back, then I heard the same voice remark, "Right, we're on our way, hold on." I wasn't sure who it was that was coming for me but at least somebody was on their way to rescue me.**

 **I was still underneath the plum tree when a wolf came out of the darkness and approached me, it had appeared out of nowhere. It sniffed my hand intently for a few moments before it lay down next to me and placed its head on my good leg. A few moments later more wolves appeared and some of them lay down a few feet away from me, I wasn't sure what was going on but I knew that wolves and vampires had a connection to each other, the wolves seemed to understand that I was injured. One of the wolves nuzzled me and placed its head under my bad arm, another one lay down right next to me and another one stood infront of me and howled. Diesel was on my lap, he had curled up into a tight little ball and I stroked him with my uninjured hand.**

 **Not long after the wolves arrived I saw figures again, only this time they were running towards me and there were about six of them in total.**

 **"I'm over here," I called out to the figures who were running towards me at speed.**

 **"What happened?" one of the rescuers asked me when he'd knelt down beside me to assess me.**

 **"I was up in the tree picking plums, there was a strong gust of wind that unbalanced me, then I fell, I tried to save myself but I landed awkwardly and something snapped in my wrist, I can't move it," I explained as the rescuer threw a great big fur blanket around my shoulders.**

 **"We're here now, we heard your dog howling and we came to investigate, we've got a stretcher to carry you so that the Medic can examine you properly, can you stand?" the rescuer asked me,**

 **"No, I think my knee is dislocated. I can't walk or move very easily at all," I replied as two more rescuers placed a stretcher down beside me. I was helped onto it and then I was carried back to the mountain entrance.**

 **"Who are you?" I asked.**

 **"We are your rescue party, Prince Mika sent us outside to search for you when you didn't return after an hour," the rescuer explained.**

 **"What's your name?" I asked, I wanted to know who to thank for coming to rescue me.**

 **"I'm called Andre, I work for the Princes. Your dog saved you, we heard his howls from inside the mountain and we knew that it was too high pitched to be a wolf. Seba was the one who heard it first, he notified Prince Mika who then ordered me to form a search and rescue party, we knew that you'd be on the circuit path somewhere but we weren't sure exactly what point you'd gotten to." Andre explained, he was carrying one corner of the stretcher.**

 **"I was on my back towards the entrance when I spotted the fruit trees, I should have known better than to climb up to the top branches in these windy conditions, this accident is all my own fault," I answered, I was grateful that I'd been found.**

 **"We'll get the Medic to patch you up, you aren't that badly hurt, a few broken bones and a dislocation are pretty minor injuries in the scheme of things," Andre stated, "You'll be fine once you've warmed up and your injuries have been seen to, they aren't life threatening."**

 **We arrived in the Medical Wing a short while later, I was carried over to the examination bay and then the Medic came to assess me. He examined me thoroughly from top to bottom, he placed my arm in a sling temporarily and he fixed my knee so that it wasn't dislocated any longer, it hurt but it was done so quickly and skillfully that I barely felt it. Then the Medic prepared a plaster-like substance that he poured over my wrist, when it had set it was rock hard.**

 **"You'll have to keep your wrist in a sling for a couple of weeks, I've put a protective barrier around it. You're lucky that it is only an internal break and that the bone isn't exposed, it'll heal given time. I'll bandage your knee up to support the joint whilst it recovers, if you use a crutch then you should be able to walk but don't put too much weight on your leg otherwise your knee could pop out again." the Medic explained to me. After I had been patched up I was taken to a private bay and left to rest for a while. I was still very cold but after I'd eaten a hot meal I felt better. I had the fur blanket that Andre had given me wrapped around my shoulders, Diesel was asleep on my lap and I didn't mind that at all.**

 **I had no shortage of visitors,** _ **so much for resting**_ **I thought to myself as what seemed like half the Clan came to see me. I wasn't used to the attention, I didn't even know why I had been placed in a private bay, after all having all of these visitors had kind of defeated the object of me being given a private bay in the first instance. I got as much rest as I could between visitors, some didn't stay for long but others stuck around for a while.**

 **Eventually the Medic came and cleared everybody out of my bay with the exception of Prince Mika, I needed to sleep or my wrist wouldn't heal properly. I had my arm encased in bandages that had been soaked in a mixture of ground up, powdered stones and tree sap. It had dried out and gone hard, it wasn't a plaster cast but it served the same purpose as a plaster cast. I had my whole arm in a sling because the cast had made it feel rather heavy, I had to keep it supported so that the bones would grow back properly. I wasn't supposed to use my wrist or my hand otherwise the broken bones would move out of allignment and then I wouldn't heal properly. As luck would have it I had a clean break with no splinters or chips, if my bones stayed straight then they'd grow back and my wrist would recover.**

 **I must have been in my medical bay for a few hours, I wasn't sure how long I'd been in there exactly but Prince Mika stayed with me. He was supposed to be doing business with the other Princes but because I was injured he wouldn't leave my side. I told him to go and attend to his business but he refused to leave me in my medical bay alone.**

 **"I'm fine, you don't need to stay with me. I'm going to sleep now anyway," I said with a yawn as I lay down and made myself more comfortable.**

 **"It is my choice to stay or leave and I'm electing to remain here with you, you will get terribly bored and lonely on your own in here," Prince Mika stated in reply to my earlier comment.**

 **"I'm going to be asleep soon, you'll be the one who gets bored if you stay here watching me sleep," I countered, "I'm so tired I can't possibly stay awake any longer, good day." I turned over so that I was on my side and I closed my eyes. Even though my eyes were closed I was still awake, I heard Prince Mika grumbling under his breath but I didn't say anything to him about it. A short tiem later I felt something being draped over my body, I kept my eyes shut because I wanted Prince Mika to think that I was actually asleep even though I wasn't.**

 **"You've come at a bad time Larten, Zara is sleeping," I heard the Medic say to Larten. They must have been standing outside my medical bay door.**

 **"I will not wake her up, I just want to see her for a moment," I heard Larten say in reply.**

 **"What reason have you got to visit a sleeping patient?" the Medic asked, he sounded annoyed.**

 **"I love her, I just want to make sure that Zara is alright." Larten admitted.**

 **"Prince Mika is with her, I can assure you that Zara is perfectly safe and she's getting the best care that we can offer Larten." the Medic answered. I thought it was sweet of Larten to want to come and check on me, he had no obligation to do so.**

 **"I would still like to sit in one of the visitors' chairs and keep watch over her. Prince Mika has business that he must attend to in the Hall of Princes, he cannot stay here for a prolonged period of time," Larten stated, it was obvious that he cared about me.**

 **"That is up to Prince Mika, not you Larten. I'll let you in to see Zara but keep the noise levels to a minimum, I don't want you disturbing my patient whilst she's asleep." the Medic declared, then I heard the door to my medical bay opening with a creak. I heard Larten's light footsteps on the stone floor as he approached the visitors' chair, I listened to the chair squeaking slightly when he sat down on it and then all was quiet. I stirred slightly, I was still awake but I was doing a good job of pretending to be asleep. I heard Larten speak to Prince Mika in barely more than a whisper.**

 **"Sire, can you tell me what happened?" Larten asked Prince Mika.**

 **"Zara took her dog for a walk, she then decided to pick some plums before returning to the Hall of Khledon Lurt. When those big gusts of wind came Zara lost her balance and she fell out of the plum tree, I was told that she'd climbed nearly all the way up to the top of the tree so that she could reach the biggest plums, when she fell she hit the ground at an awkward angle. I think she fell about eight or ten feet so she's lucky that she didn't break her back. Her knee was dislocated and she's broken her wrist, she's got bruising and a few scrapes too but other than that she's alright," Prince Mika replied in a hushed tone, he didn't want to disturb me by talking too loudly.**

 **"If I had been with Zara at the time I would have climbed the tree and picked the plums for her, as you probably know Sire my balance is far superior to hers and I know how to land on my feet if I fall," Larten replied in a quiet voice, then he surprised me by saying, "By the way Sire, if I cannot break the back of my mate or my former mate I should say then a fall from a tree will not be enough to do it,"**

 **Prince Mika didn't answer straight away, I think he was trying to work out how best to reply. I tried hard not to laugh or give any indications that I was awake.**

 **"Larten, I know how skilled you are. I cannot deny that fact and I've heard many tales of your past exploits. I also know that I will never be able to make Zara see stars in the same way that you can, I do my best but I just can't quite bring her to that point, let alone beyond it. What's your secret? How do you do it?" Prince Mika asked, I was surprised to hear him asking such questions.**

 **"I cannot explain it to you Sire, for I do not know the answers to your questions. The only thing I will say is that I put it down to a natural talent that I have spent decades perfecting. If I cannot make a vampiress go wild and beg me for more then I have not done my job as her mate properly," Larten answered honestly, "One more thing Sire, when I said about breaking the back of my mate I did not mean it literally, it is just a phrase that means to go beyond anything you have ever known before."**

 **"I see, I will have to wait until Zara has completely healed before I mate with her again. I don't want to make her injuries worse and without her arm functioning Zara will be limited in what she can do anyway," Prince Mika remarked, then he said, "I do hope that Zara won't take long to heal, I love it when she sleeps in my arms. When she wakes up and stretches she looks so cute, don't you agree?"**

 **"I know exactly what you mean and I agree with you Sire, however I find it hard to talk about my former mate with you because you are her current mate. I ended our agreement because I thought it was for the best, I have come to regret my decision but I cannot change it now," Larten confessed, then he sighed, "I really do love Zara, she still wears my rings for goodness sake. I do not give out rings lightly, in fact out of all the mates I have had Sire I have only given rings to a couple of them. Giving a ring or rings to your mate in my opinion means making a serious commitment to them."**

 **"I do not have the resources that you have Larten, nor do I have money. I see money as a human thing, as a vampire I have no need of it as such. I don't have bills to pay, nor do I have to buy food or purchase weapons. I know that you earnt quite a bit of money from working at the Cirque Du Freak, Mr Tall pays his performers and staff very well indeed, they earn far more than most humans do. Is it true that you were paid upwards of three thousand pounds per show Larten?" Prince Mika asked, I wasn't sure how Larten would respond to this latest question.**

 **"Yes, I was paid that amount and I have saved most of my money. I have access to funds Sire, as such I am more than capable of properly looking after and providing for my mate. I always endeavour to make sure that my mates want for nothing." Larten answered truthfully, I was surprised by his frankness.**

 **"I've heard about how you treat your mates, they are always given the very best of everything and, as far as I know they never have any reason to complain either," Prince Mika acknowledged.**

 **"I have seen how you treat Zara, it is clear to me that you have nothing but utmost respect for her, I see how you look at her Sire. I know that you love Zara, that much is obvious and when I witnessed you kissing her you held onto her as if you never wanted to let her go, I am not one for public displays of affection, they make me feel awkward and I am always afraid of going too far. I find it hard to control myself sometimes, the animal within me sees to that." Larten concluded honestly.**

 **"I understand, I used to struggle with it too. When I was invested as a Vampire Prince I knew that I would be expected to conduct myself in a certain way," Prince Mika remarked, then he added, "It took me time to adjust, however I think I'm doing a pretty good job of ruling the Clan alongside my fellow Princes."**

 **"You are doing a remarkable job Sire, I walked away from it all but I could have become a Prince. If I had been invested as a Vampire Prince then things would have been very different, I know that Arra would have been thrilled, she always spoke about my Investiture. Arra even asked me whether she would get to wear a tiara at the ceremony or not, I answered that she could wear one if she wanted to wear one, when I gave Arra my talisman it made her really happy and she never took it off. I let her keep it even after we ended our agreement. I had a second one made and she had the original one on a chain around her neck, it was kept under her shirt so that it would not get damaged when she duelled. After our agreement had ended we remained close and we shared the same Quarters for a long time. I hoped that we would agree to a new term, but Arra caught the eye of another and in time I moved on also." Larten reminisced, then he sighed again before saying, "I do miss Arra, the mountain and the halls are not the same without her being here, she made me happy and I regret not asking her to become my Blessed Mate sooner. I had the ring in my pocket in a box but I never found the perfect moment to propose to her."**

 **"I know that feeling all too well, it has to be done at the right time and in the perfect place, ideally a place that means something to both of you or on a significant date," Prince Mika clarified, then he asked, "I am seriously considering asking Zara to become my Blessed Mate, what do you think about that Larten?"**

 **"If that is your will Sire then I cannot prevent it, I have only two requests which are that I do not have to attend the ceremony, it would be too difficult for me to hear the vampiress I love declaring her love and loyalty to you publicly by saying her vows. I also request that if Zara is going to become your Blessed Mate then please make her happy Sire, look after her and love her in such a way that she cannot doubt your feelings towards her." Larten replied, it wasn't an easy thing for him to discuss for obvious reasons.**

 **"I give you my word as a Prince that I will agree to your requests, they are perfectly reasonable given the circumstances, I want to thank you for your honesty too. I don't feel so guilty now that we've had this conversation, I wasn't going to propose to Zara before talking to you about it first out of respect for you. I need to buy a ring and the decent ones aren't cheap, Zara deserves the very best after all." Prince Mika acknowledged.**

 **"That is true, I gave Zara two platinum bands, there are diamonds set into each band that sparkle and glisten when they have light shining upon them, it looks like Zara is wearing her own personal stars," Larten stated plainly, "They were very expensive rings Sire, however I do not need to disclose exactly how much I spent on them. I was planning to propose to Zara myself, however I had to go and fight the Vampaneze. If I survived the fight then my plan was to return to the mountain, after getting here I would have asked Zara to become pledged to me with intent, however I did not realise at first that you and Zara had entered into a new mateship agreement, I actually had no idea about it until Zara told me. I know you thought that I was dead, also I did officially hand Zara over to you before I left, as a result of me doing this you were well within your rights to mate with Zara and that has already taken place. I have now been left at a loose end without a mate, I have no desire to take a new mate either because I love Zara too much. I could not in all good conscience tell another that I love her because I do not, if I were to mate with somebody then I would feel like I was betraying Zara in some way, I am too loyal to do that to her." Larten concluded.**

 **I didn't know what to think. My main problem was the fact that I was in love with both Larten and Prince Mika, I couldn't pick between them and both of them wanted to become my Blessed Mate. I didn't know what to do. It was at this point that I opened my eyes, I could see that Larten and Prince Mika were looking at me. I adjusted my position so that I was more comfortable, I reached out to both vampires with my good hand because I didn't really know what else to do. Prince Mika took my hand first, he kissed it and we went palm to palm so that our scars were alligned. I sat up, I had tried my best to sleep but I'd failed so there was no point in lying down. I could tell that Larten was hurting, he had been the one to end our agreement but he still had strong feelings for me. The medical bay I was in felt like a giant fridge because it was so cold, as a result of this fact I was shivering despite having blankets wrapped around me. Larten must have noticed how cold I actually was because he removed his cape in an instant, then he draped it around my shoulders. I pulled it into position until it was wrapped around me, it was rather large after all.**

 **"Are you warmer now?" Larten asked me, he looked genuinely concerned for my welfare.**

 **"Yes, I'm much warmer now thank you." I remarked simply. The cape was soft and it was deep red in colour, it smelt not just of us but of our love, it was a very unique scent and one that I had missed.**

 **"Zara, are you feeling OK?" Prince Mika asked me, he was still palm to palm with me.**

 **"I'm alright, my wrist hurts but that is to be expected given the circumstances. I was rather cold but I'm fine now, thanks to Larten," I answered, "I'm surprised that you didn't notice how much I was shivering Mika."**

 **"I was wondering why Larten had draped his cape around you, I'm sorry Zara and I mean that," Prince Mika stated apologetically, he must have felt terrible.**

 **"It is not that hard to monitor the vital signs of somebody, I cannot believe that you did not see that your mate was shivering, I spotted it and I dealt with it because I know how to look after those who are under close observation," Larten chastised Prince Mika, then he continued, "With all due respect Sire if you cannot even spot when your mate is feeling the cold then should you even have a mate at all?"**

 **"How dare you speak to me like that Larten, I am a Prince!" Prince Mika responded angrily, his voice was louder now.**

 **"Sire, I apologise. I just want what is best for Zara because I love her deeply, more than you care to imagine in fact," Larten replied calmly.**

 **"If you truly loved Zara then you wouldn't have ended your mateship agreement with her Larten, Zara is** _ **my**_ **mate now and you'll just have to accept it," Prince Mika declared in an official tone, he sounded like a real Vampire Prince now.**

 **"I ended my agreement because I had no desire to fight you for the right to mate with her, Zara could not choose between us and it was not fair to ask her to do such a thing either. I gave up my right to mate so that Zara would not have to make such a hard decision, it was probably one of the biggest sacrifices I have ever had to make, however it was done for the greater good." Larten admitted, he sounded so noble now.**

 **"Please stop this, I've had enough of you two arguing. How can I be expected to rest when I have to listen to you fighting over me?" I asked, I was annoyed.**

 **"I am sorry Zara, I hate causing you undue distress." Prince Mika remarked, he sounded sincere.**

 **"I am sorry too, I have let my personal feelings affect my behaviour." Larten acknowledged, he sounded like he was really struggling to control himself and I felt really sorry for him, he had after all given me rings which represented his love and commitment. I looked down at my rings and I saw them sparkling in the light, the light came from the torches that were burning on my medical bay walls. Whenever I looked down at my rings I was reminded of exactly how much Larten loved me, I had never had anybody love me this deeply before, I also knew that I would have to decide upon who I wanted to accept as my Blessed Mate, I would have to take their last name as my own too. I thought that Zara Crepsley sounded good as names go, I also thought that Zara Ver Leth had a nice ring to it as well. Either way I was going to end up being known by one of these names for the next few centuries, I just didn't know which one it was going to be.**

 **"Larten," I began to say then I trailed off.**

 **"What were you going to say?" Larten asked me directly, he hated it when people didn't come straight to the point when they were talking.**

 **"It doesn't matter, it was just a thought I had, that's all." I revealed.**

 **"I see," Larten replied, "What thought was that exactly?"**

 **"I'll have to whisper it in your ear," I admitted, "It is a personal thing between us."**

 **"I understand, I'll leave the room." Prince Mika interjected as he stood up, then he walked out of my medical bay which left me alone with Larten.**

 **"Now will you tell me what is going on?" Larten requested, he sounded stern now.**

 **"I just wanted to share one last kiss with you," I admitted, "I thought it'd be easier to do if we were alone."**

 **"I am not your mate!" Larten snapped at me.**

 **"I know that but I still love you Larten," I sighed, Larten sat quietly for for a moment before he spoke, it was as if he was mulling something over in his head.**

 **"Very well, you may share one last kiss with me and then I will walk away. You are pledged to Prince Mika and as much as it hurts me I know that he will look after you." Larten commented, I stood up and he kissed me in such a way that it made my whole body feel like it was on fire. I could feel Larten's hands touching my exposed flesh whilst we kissed, our tongues mingled in a way that they'd never done before and I let Larten know exactly how good it felt. When we broke apart I still had my good hand on Larten's neck, he was holding me around my waist.**

 **"That was perfect, I'll never forget that kiss as long as I live," I said, it had been one of the most incredible moments that we'd ever shared together.**

 **"You liked it that much?" Larten asked me in a quiet voice.**

 **"Yes, it reminded me of the time that we kissed underneath the stars," I replied, "That was also an experience which I'll never forget." Just after I said these words Larten closed the gap between our heads and he kissed me again, I could feel my heart beating faster as we kissed. When Larten's hand touched my skin I moaned into his mouth, his hand was up my shirt and my whole body shivered in pleasure. I couldn't understand what Larten was trying to accomplish, was he teasing me just for the sake of it? Every inch of my body was tingling, I had to break off our kiss just so that I could breathe for a minute.**

 **"Why do you tease me like that?" I asked when I could speak again, my body was still buzzing.**

 **"I just wanted to remind you of how good it feels when I kiss you," Larten answered, "You asked for one final kiss and I gave you two."**

 **"Yes, they were great. You've given me two kisses already but what's one more?" I asked, sounding hopeful.**

 **"One more would make it three," Larten stated, "I do not call three kisses one last kiss."**

 **"You kissed me twice, I only asked for one," I countered, I was a little bit upset.**

 **"I was being kind to you," Larten responded, "I thought you would appreciate the gesture."**

 **"I did appreciate it very much," I acknowledged, "Thank you for your second kiss, I won't forget it." Larten didn't say anything for a few minutes after I had said this, we looked at each other and I moved my head a fraction so that our lips were just millimetres apart. I wanted another kiss, I wasn't quite brave enough to steal one. We stayed in this position for a few minutes, I could feel Larten's wondering hand going up my shirt again, I didn't mind at all and it made my whole body tingle. A few minutes later Larten moved his hand, he was now touching the sensitive areas that were between my legs. I gasped when he started rubbing my clitoris, my breathing got harsher and he was very careful not to harm me with his sharp nails.**

 **"More, ah that feels so good, don't stop." I said between harsh breaths and other sexual noises. A few moments later I climaxed, it felt phenominal and Larten kissed me at exactly the right moment, otherwise I would have cried out loudly for more as the orgasm rocketed through my body.**

 **"Happy now?" Larten asked me when my body had returned to normal, "I hope that was a good enough experience for you."**

 **"Oh my word it was insanely good, you are so skilled," I complimented Larten, "I loved it quite honestly."**

 **"I thought so, this was my way of ensuring that you will never forget me," Larten explained, "How could you possibly forget an experience like that?"**

 **"I'll never forget the intimate moments we've shared together as mates, if I wasn't already pledged to Prince Mika then I would pledge myself to you with intent Larten," I admitted, then I said, "Mind you, you would be the one proposing to me, not the other way around."**

 **"Yes, however I find public proposals embarrassing. I am not one for declaring my feelings out loud," Larten remarked, he was a very private person after all.**

 **"I understand, however if you love somebody enough then surely you would wish for them to be pledged to you with intent, wouldn't you?" I asked, I really hoped that one night Larten would pluck up the courage and ask me to become his Blessed Mate.**

 **"Yes, however only the very deepest love could persuade me to propose. I would not propose to just anybody Zara," Larten stated before admitting to me, "If not for Prince Mika then I would have asked you to become my Blessed Mate already."**

 **"Oh my word, are you serious?" I queried, shocked.**

 **"Yes, I had been planning to ask you for a while. I cannot do that now because you are pledged to another. If things do not work out between yourself and Prince Mika then I will reinstate our agreement and propose to you in the traditional way. I will ask you to become my Blessed Mate, if you say yes then the whole hall will erupt in cheers and wild celebrations should ensue."**

 **"That would be a dream come true Larten, it really would. Maybe Prince Mika will propose, he did mention it to me," I confirmed, "Either way I'm getting hitched and I can't wait."**

 **"Prince Mika asked me what I thought about him proposing to you, he wanted to know if I minded or not. I told him that if he looked after you properly then I would have no objections, I did also say that I would not be at the ceremony because it would hurt me too much, I hope you can understand Zara," Larten revealed, "I just wanted to let you know."**

 **"Thanks for telling me, of course there is no guarentee that Prince Mika will actually propose to me, however it is on the cards." I acknowledged, "He can't afford to buy me a ring so it isn't likely to happen for a while yet, if ever."**

 **"You have my rings, I would not dream of proposing to somebody if I could not afford to buy them a decent ring, it is not good form. If you cannot afford a ring then how can you afford to take care of the woman in question properly?" Larten asked me, I wasn't sure if he wanted me to repond to his question or not. Just as I was about to reply to Larten's question Prince Mika came into my medical bay, I was happy to see him because he'd been gone for ages.**

 **"Hello Mika," I said, "My wrist hurts, this cast is really heavy."**

 **"Hello my darling, I'm sorry that I was away from you for so long. I figured that Larten and you would need to talk things through, if your wrist is hurting then I'll ask one of the Medics to give you some herbal tincture that numbs pain,"**

 **"Taking some of that tincture would be good, Larten and I have talked things over and I've decided to remain as your mate Mika," I remarked, "You are very sweet and kind. You have also provided me with everything I could want and I love you Mika."**

 **"I love you too Zara, come here," Prince Mika said, I hobbled over to him using my crutch for support because my knee was weak. Prince Mika scooped me up into his arms and he held me bridal style, it took me by surprise, I stole a quick kiss from him and he kissed me back.**

 **"Larten, thank you so much for being the most wonderful, passionate, skilled, attentive mate that any vampiress could wish for, I hope that we will always be close friends," I remarked, then I stated, "Here is your talisman back, I wear Prince Mika's now."**

 **"Keep it, it was a gift." Larten replied simply.**

 **"Alright, as long as you're sure?" I queried, I needed to be certain.**

 **"I am sure, you can keep it along with everything else I have given you too. I do not require you to return anything to me apart from my cloak," Larten replied, "May I have it back?"**

 **"Yes, of course. Here you go Larten." I responded as I handed the cloak that had been draped around my shoulders back to him.**

 **"Thank you, I wish you both the best. May your mateship be a happy one." Larten stated, then he vanished leaving Prince Mika and I alone.**

 **"Oh Mika I've missed you so much, I just want you to hold me and never let me go. I love you," I said, then I kissed Prince Mika again and he kissed me back passionately.**

 **"Zara, I'm so glad that you've seen sense and decided to continue our mateship agreement, I couldn't live without you my love," Prince Mika replied as he put me down, he had been holding me bridal style for a while.**

 **"You are sweet to say that, I feel the same way about you Mika, when I'm in your arms I know that I've found my place in this world," I added, "I'm yours, please say that you're mine."**

 **"Of course I'm yours, I cannot imagine being with anybody else but you Zara. I hereby pledge myself to you with intent, do you accept my pledge?" Prince Mika asked me, I wasn't surprised in the slightest that he had said these words to me.**

 **"Of course I will accept your pledge," I answered automatically, "I thought you'd never ask me." I felt like I'd made the right decision in choosing Prince Mika over Larten despite our earlier encounter.**

 **"I give you this ring as a sign of my pledge to you, may it serve as a symbol of my love for you." Prince Mika remarked as he placed a simple silver ring on my finger, it had been engraved with an ornate pattern but it had no stones set into it which was a shame.**

 **"I want to break the news to the Clan about us, there will be some wild celebrations no doubt," I declared, I hadn't felt this happy in a long time.**

 **"Patience, you have to heal up first darling, your health takes priority." Prince Mika reiterated, he sounded wise.**

 **"Alright, I'll wait until my wrist is better. Aren't we meant to seal our union as pledged mates with a kiss?" I queried, I wasn't sure.**

 **"You're right, I can't believe that I forgot to do it, I'm sorry." Prince Mika answered, then he kissed me deeply and it lasted for quite a few minutes.**

 **"I guess that kiss has officially made us pledged mates, will you stay with me now?" I enquired, I didn't know what the procedure was.**

 **"For a little while I can stay here, however I do have some business to take care of too," Prince Mika revealed, we were doing our best to snuggle up with each other but it wasn't that easy.**

 **"I understand, I just want you to hold me in your arms so that I can sleep," I explained, I was very tired.**

 **"I will see what I can do," Prince Mika began, "There isn't that much room so I'll do my best for you,"**

 **"Thanks Mika, I really apreciate that," I replied, "I love it when you are beside me,"**

 **"I swear that I will be a loving and kind pledged mate, I promise that I shall take care of you and I'll try my best to make you happy," Prince Mika reiterated, then he lay down next to me and put his arms around me, "Sleep now, my love. Resting well is the key to heaing after all."**

 **"Alright, good day my dark Prince, I love you." I concluded with a yawn. Prince Mika kissed me gently before I managed to settle into his arms, I fell asleep and I didn't wake up for quite some time...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Kurda's Mate: Her True Story**

 **Chapter 13: Coming of Age**

 **I woke up in my medical bay, Prince Mika was beside me and he was still asleep. I shifted slightly and stretched my good arm, my wrist wasn't as sore as it had been previously but it still hurt. My knee wasn't that badly injured, it felt a little bit stiff, however that was probably due to the tight bandage that had been wrapped around it. I decided to wake Prince Mika up, I knew that he was supposed to be working in the Hall of Princes and he was late.**

 **"Mika, wake up. You have work to do," I announced as I tapped Prince Mika lightly on the shoulder, "Mika, wake up." After saying it a second time Prince Mika woke up, he looked so hot with his long hair and muscular body that I found it hard not to get turned on by it.**

 **"What is it?" Prince Mika asked, he sounded a bit tired.**

 **"You have jobs to do, you're late Mika," I told him for the third time within the space of about twenty minutes.**

 **"A Prince is never late, the others are simply early," Prince Mika chuckled as he stood up and put his robes on.**

 **"You'd better change those robes and have them washed, they are stained, look at the bottom," I remarked, the robes were pretty dirty to be fair.**

 **"Good thinking, I hadn't even noticed. I obviously can't wear these for the fifth night in a row," Prince Mika answered, "I will have to go to my private quarters and get changed there, these robes will be thrown into the wash pile."**

 **"Sounds like a plan to me, I guess I'll be stuck here on my own for hours whilst you're working. That's if you can even call sitting on your throne drinking ale and discussing battle strategies work, personally I call it an easy life," I stated with a smile.**

 **"You think that discussing battle strategies and planning our next attack on the Vampaneze is easy? You haven't got a clue, we spend more time arguing amongst ourselves than we do issuing orders. It is hard to agree on some things," Prince Mika scoffed, then he revealed, "at least I have some sense of a military background, I know what I'm talking about. I was involved with the second world war, I bet you didn't know that about me. I was on the front line, Lieutenant Ver Leth of the second Batallion, the rifles, those were some dark times I tell you, you don't know how lucky you are to live in this era Zara."**

 **"You faught in the war? Did you know my great grandfather Thomas George Harding? He faught in the second world war too, he was in the tank regiment," I queried, I was curious to find out more about my ancestors.**

 **"The name doesn't ring any bells, I'm afraid. I have to go now Zara, I'll see you later. Try and do some gentle exercise if you can otherwise your knee will seize up completely," the Vampire Prince remarked, then he said, "I'll get somebody to take Diesel outside for you, he needs to exercise as well."**

 **"That would be good, bye Mika. Come and see me when you are able to, I know how busy the Princes are so don't rush on my behalf, I love you." I acknowledged, I stood up and got dressed with Prince Mika's assistance, I didn't want the Medics to see me in my night clothes because it wouldn't have been appropriate.**

 **"I'm going now Zara, I love you." Prince Mika concluded as he scooped up Diesel, then he kissed me passionately and I twirled my fingers in his hair as he did so. I could feel our tongues wrestling against one another as we kissed, it felt awesome. We must have kissed for a good few minutes, when we eventually broke apart and ended the kiss I felt rather turned on.**

 **"You've made me horny now, thanks for that," I complained teasingly, I didn't actually mind, "now what are we going to do?"**

 **"I will give you one more kiss and then I must leave, I am behind enough in my duties as it is, I would hate it if the other Princes had to do all of my work as well as their own, also I like to be present when the big decisions are made," Prince Mika answered, I still had my fingers entwined in his hair as he gave me one last kiss, it was passionate to say the least.**

 **After Prince Mika had left my medical bay I was alone, there was a Guard standing outside the door but it wasn't really necessary. One of the Medics came in and checked me over, he got me to walk up and down so that he could see how stiff I was and whether my knee was healing properly or not. My wrist was giving me the most trouble, the cast was annoying and as it was so thick I couldn't pull the sleeve of my dress over it. I had one sleeve down and one sleeve rolled up, it looked odd. I would have worn a short sleeved dress, however the only short sleeved dress I had was quite high above my knee, I didn't want to wear anything that was too short in length because I had no tights or leggings to wear with it.**

 **A week passed and the cast on my wrist was cracked with a chisel and removed, a new, much lighter cast was put on my wrist instead now that the bones were in allignment. The bones were still repairing themselves, but at least my wrist didn't feel like a dead weight any longer. I had been released from the medical wing because there was no need for me to stay, the bones were healing in my wrist and I could walk fine too as long as I used my crutch. I still couldn't put much weight on my knee incase it popped out again, I had it strapped up and I still needed to use a sling too, however I was glad to be out of that dingy medical bay.**

 **I spent most of my time hanging around in the Halls of Sport, there wasn't much to do, the Vampire Council had been concluded and many vampires had left the mountain. A lot of Generals were involved in skirmishes with the Vampaneze, some Generals were searching for the lair where the Lord of the Vampaneze lived and the rest of them had remained at the mountain to keep it in order. I was left to fend for myself most of the time, I couldn't take part in any of the games but I enjoyed watching them.**

 **Prince Mika joined me for meals and after he had concluded his business he would always come and find me, then we'd spend quality time together and we didn't care if the Clan saw us together or not, the War of the Scars was dragging on and there seemed to be no end in sight either. I often wondered how the so-called plan to end the war once and for all was going, I wasn't even sure if such a plan existed...**

 **Three years had passed since I had become pledged to Prince Mika with intent, I was almost twenty one years old and under vampire law once a vampiress turns twenty one she is officially classed as an independent Clan member in her own right, however this only counts if a vampiress is blooded before her twenty first birthday, if she is over twenty one when she joins the Clan then she is automatically classed as independent providing that her mentor (if she has one) agrees to it. These rules do not apply to vampires, only to vampiresses and it is done so that young girls aren't taken advantage of by rogue vampires, it is against vampire law to blood a female who is aged under sixteen unless there are unique circumstances. It is also unlawful to blood a male aged under sixteen, however it is not against vampire law to blood a male aged under sixteen if he is going to become the assistant of a vampire. The vampire in question must be willing to vouch for him and his actions, the assistant in question must also be presented to the Vampire Council for approval. Our laws are rather complicated, but they are in place for a reason, in the past there were girls as young as thirteen being blooded for no reason other than a rogue vampire wanted to have his way with them. As a result of this the Princes changed the laws on who can and who cannot be blooded, it was awful for them to see young women who were barely more than children on the battlefield, a battlefield is no place for thirteen year old girls after all. None of them survived for long, one girl made it to fifteen before she was slaughtered, her mentor had been killed a few nights earlier and nobody wanted to take responsibility for her. Prince Mika told me this information so I knew that it was accurate, I was glad that the laws had been altered because it minimised the amount of young boys and girls who had been blooded over the years, I was the last to be blooded before the laws were changed and before me there was Darren Shan, he was twelve when he was blooded, that is too young by anybody's standards. Luckily Darren (now Prince Darren) had a strong and wise mentor, as a result of this he survived his early ordeals, it could have been very different if not for Larten and his tutoring.**

 **I was almost eighteen when Kurda blooded me, at that age I felt that I was old enough to cope with being blooded. I couldn't imagine a thirteen year old being blooded, it'd be a shock to their body to say the least, being blooded too young is almost as bad as child marriage, however I won't talk about that because it is far too political and it doesn't really tie in with the story either.**

 **I was looking forward to coming of age, it meant that I would finally be able to become Prince Mika's Blessed Mate, vampiresses under twenty one are not permitted to enter into Blessed Mateships either and neither are vampires. They are permitted to become pledged with intent but that is it, I had been pledged with intent to Prince Mika for approximately three years and our mateship was going really well, our bond was stronger than ever. Over the years I had grown to love Prince Mika even more than what I had done in the beginning, Larten didn't mind at all, he hadn't taken another mate but he'd had a few casual hook-ups, however that was none of my business, what Larten did in his private life was up to him. I was still good friends with Larten and we got on really well, now that I had almost come of age I had started planning my actual Blessed Mateship ceremony, I needed to sort out a dress and many other things too.**

 **I wanted a portrait painted of us, seeing as vampires don't show up on camera due to our atoms. I wanted to have some way of recording the event, having a portrait painted seemed to be an ideal way to do this, however I was unsure of the cost and I didn't know any portrait painters either.**

 **As for my dress I wanted something classy but not over the top, we had very little money and dresses were in short supply at the mountain. Seeing as there were hardly any vampiresses left it wasn't likely that Seba would have a suitable dress in his storerooms, however I decided to ask him anyway just incase.**

 **One evening I was sitting at the High Table with Prince Mika, Prince Darren and Prince Arrow, we'd all come into the Hall of Khledon Lurt together to eat our main meal of the evening, I was starving and the Princes had been working really hard over the past week, they were sorting out vows and other Blessed Mateship related business, I couldn't wait to see the Princes in their Official Robes, as for Prince Mika I wondered what he'd be wearing. I didn't think that Prince Mika would want to wear his Official Robes seeing as he was the groom effectively, however I couldn't see him in a suit either. I wondered if he'd even thought about an outfit, let alone who he was going to invite and he still hadn't officially asked me to become his Blessed Mate either.**

 **"What are you going to wear at the ceremony?" I asked as we were eating our second course of the evening, "I hope you've put some thought into it Mika,"**

 **"I've been so pre-occupied with other things that I thought I'd just wear my Official Robes. I've thought about you and what you'll want to wear, I may have to ask a favour from somebody because I cannot afford to get you a suitable dress. For that I apologise unreservedly and I hope that you can understand,"**

 **"It is OK Mika, I have spoken to Seba, he thinks that there might be something tucked away in a chest that I can wear. He says that it may need to be altered to fit me, apart from that it will be fine," I reassured Prince Mika, "I'm not fussy to be honest, I just want to be yours, whether that means I'll be wearing a dress or a plastic bag makes no difference."**

 **"I won't have you wearing rags or a plastic bag, that would be unthinkable. If Seba says that he has something that you can wear then that's fine by me, I will try to organise something that I can wear, if I do end up in my robes then I'll make sure that they're clean at the very least." Prince Mika remarked, then he smiled because he knew I'd understand what he was referring to.**

 **"What about the vows? I mean it is customary for all of the Princes to bless the couple in question, however seeing as you are actually a Prince then you can't bless yourself, can you?" I asked, I wanted to find out exactly how the ceremony would be conducted.**

 **"No, I can't bless myself or you because we're the ones being blessed. I'm not actually sure what we do in this situation, I'll have to consult with my fellow Princes," Prince Mika answered, "there has never been a Blessed Mateship where a Prince has been blessed by his fellow Princes, however I do remember when I had to bless Larten's former union, we won't go into it because it has nothing to do with us."**

 **"No, we need to focus on our own relationship. Larten has a fling now and again but nothing serious, I don't think he's looking for a new mate. Larten would not be having these casual encounters if he had an agreement with somebody, like you said Mika it is none of our business."**

 **"It isn't like he is hurting anybody, these vampiresses know what they're signing up for. He wants to have sex and so do they, however neither party wants to make an agreement so they just leave the arrangment as it is," Prince Arrow interrupted, "if Larten is content then let him get on with it I say, we have far more important things to think about."**

 **"I agree, let's talk about something other than my ex mate's personal affairs," I suggested, "it seems like there is a clear sky tonight, the conditions are perfect for hunting,"**

 **"Yes, the moon is full too. It isn't even cold outside, I mean at least it is not cold for us, on the other hand humans would probably freeze out there," Prince Arrow stated, "I forget how weak they are, mind you without their blood we wouldn't live very long. The few humans that live alongside us do us a service,"**

 **"Yes, I agree with you on that," I nodded, "without human blood we couldn't exist, in fact we** _ **wouldn't**_ **exist. I mean to say that the only way we can increase our numbers is by blooding humans, if there are no humans to blood then we'd die out and cease to exist."**

 **"Humans and vampires form a symbiotic circle, humans rely on us to stop the Vampaneze from killing them and we rely on them to feed us and increase our Clan's numbers," Prince Mika added, "let us not also forget that we were human once too, if not for the Clan then we would have aged and died a long time ago. Take me for example, I'm over three hundred years old for goodness sake, humans get to one hundred if they're lucky."**

 **"I'm almost twenty one, however I haven't made it to one yet in vampiric years, seeing as I only age one year for every five years that pass and I was blooded almost four years ago now," I stated, "I'm not even a toddler in vampiric years."**

 **"Do you want your blood in a bottle?" Prince Arrow snorted, he could be very funny when he'd had a bit too much to drink.**

 **"No, that's OK Sire, I drink from a goblet like you do because I'm a big girl now," I laughed, "I can also use the WC on my own." After I had made this last comment Prince Mika and Prince Arrow fell about in fits of laughter, I didn't think the Princes were capable of humour or finding something funny.**

 **"Zara, you are hilarious. We'd be so bored around here without an individual like yourself to entertain us," Prince Mika remarked after he'd got his laughing fit under control.**

 **"If not for Kurda you never would have met me, he was the one who brought me here," I reminded Prince Mika, "I'm happy to be a vampiress but I still loathe Kurda for killing my best friend."**

 **"I know how you feel, I lost some of my best Generals in that battle too and our Clan has never been the same since," Prince Mika concluded sadly, "I hate battles, I always have hated violence and in that respect I agree with Kurda, he hated bloodshed too."**

 **"I know he did, Kurda didn't even like hunting because he hated getting his hands bloody. When Kurda had to gut what he'd killed he did it as quickly as possible, then he'd spend the next hour under the waterfalls in the Hall of Purta Vin Grahl," I replied, "personally I don't know how he managed to stay under that icy water for so long."**

 **"Neither do I, I can't stand that water either but it is necessary to wash. I have little choice but to dive under the waterfalls and do what must be done," Prince Mika stated, "I have to keep my hair in good condition after all and the smoke is murder for my skin too."**

 **"You are such a girl sometimes Mika, honestly you're worse than I am," I laughed, nobody else would get away with saying such things but I could.**

 **"Says you Zara, who is it that takes longer to get herself ready than I do?" Prince Mika asked sarcastically, I knew he was just messing with me.**

 **"I am pledged to you with intent. I need to set a good example to the other Clan members by looking and acting my best at all times," I reiterated, "I think I do a pretty good job actually."**

 **"Yes, you do indeed do a great job. I have never got any reason to feel embarrased by you or ashamed of your behaviour," Prince Mika said in praise of my conduct.**

 **"I have been prepared for my role and properly trained, you can thank Seba and Larten for this, after all without their guidance I wouldn't be who I am now," I reiterated, it was the truth.**

 **"They have taught you well, also you were willing to learn which made their task so much simpler," Prince Arrow added, "in fact I have never known a vampiress to be more obliging and you never cause us any trouble either."**

 **"I do my best, that is all anyone can do at the end of the night," I replied, "I would never wish to cause trouble for you because you have enough to deal with as it is."**

 **"Are you happy?" Prince Mika asked, it was an odd question and I hadn't been expecting him to ask me such a thing.**

 **"Yes, I am happy. I do however still struggle because even after all this time I still miss Gavner and Arra. I never really got over their deaths, although they're in Paradise I feel like a part of my heart went with them. I have an empty space inside me if that makes sense." I admitted, it was a hard subject for me to discuss.**

 **"I think that Larten feels the same way that you do, he'd probably never admit to it though. Larten knew Gavner and Arra for far longer than you did, he lost his best friend and his former mate. I lost my mate too Zara, I barely had any time with Arra before she was taken from us and I've never fully recovered either," Prince Mika explained, "we are very alike Zara, in fact we are on the same page."**

 **"I agree, we've both suffered so much. Now that we have found one another it is like being two tiny lights in an otherwise dark world," Prince Mika acknowledged, "when we become Blessed Mates Zara I'll make sure that you will gain your own throne, that is my promise to you."**

 **"That was what Kurda promised me, I think that Larten and Seba would both be proud of me, Seba especially. I'd love to see Larten's reaction when he witnesses my Investiture," I smirked, "I can't imagine him bowing to me but I guess he'll have to follow suit along with everybody else."**

 **"Yes, all of the Clan will have to bow to you at the end of your Investiture, it will be a sign of their acceptance of you ruling over them," Prince Mika confirmed, "you'll have to have a different title to us because using Sire as a title is associated with males. We could call you Madam or** _ **Your Highness**_ **instead of Sire. I also think that you'd look better if you had a small coronet or tiara that you could wear as a status symbol."**

 **"I agree, I need something to wear alongside my dress, talking of dresses the ones I have are ancient and damaged so I need some new dark blue dresses to wear," I answered, "I'm sure that you'll be able to provide me with some new clothes."**

 **"I shouldn't think that'd be a problem, you have to look your best and if you need new dresses then you shall have them," Prince Mika replied, "I'll fix it for you, have no fear."**

 **"Thanks, I appreciate that Mika. You've always told me that if I ever need anything then I just have to ask you for it," I reiterated, "I have been meaning to ask you for new dresses for a while, however you were so busy that I didn't want to stress you out about it."**

 **"It's fine, I am never too busy to make sure that you've got everything you need. I promised you that I'd take good care of you and I am intending to do that," Prince Mika stated, "Diesel needs a new collar anyway so I'll sort that out also."**

 **"I was going to say that, you've read my mind Mika," I answered, Prince Mika was always anticipating my thoughts and I had no idea how he did it either.**

 **"I'm good at noticing the small details, talking of small details we need to decide upon whether we want table decorations or not and other things like that," Prince Mika replied, "What do you think?"**

 **"Table decorations? Sure, why not but where are they going to come from and how much will they cost?" I asked, I didn't want Prince Mika to waste what little money he had on insignificant things like table decorations.**

 **"Money isn't an issue for me now, I have got an arrangement with somebody, call it a loan if you like Zara. I will pay it back in small interest free chunks, it means that we can have a proper celebration," Prince Mika revealed, I was surprised that he'd borrowed money from somebody.**

 **"How much?" I queried, if my pledged mate was in debt then I wanted to know about it.**

 **"Enough to support you and give you whatever you want for our ceremony, you will also be able to have a decent dress and not a second hand one. I am not having you wearing somebody else's second hand trash at our ceremony," Prince Mika concluded, "Providing you with a dress is the very least I can do."**

 **"Who did you borrow it from? I want to know," I said firmly, "I need to know who to thank for their kindness."**

 **"Look, if this person's name got out then every Clan member would be asking for loans from them. This was a private arrangement between myself and the other party involved, you weren't even supposed to know about it," Prince Mika told me, "I wasn't meant to say anything to you or to anybody about the loan in question."**

 **"You don't need to tell me who lent you the money, I already know who it was and it makes sense that he wouldn't want the Clan to know about it. All I can say is that he must love me still even after all this time," I replied, then I gave Prince Mika a knowing look, "We were very close after all, I've never forgotten the times we shared together as mates either."**

 **"Don't say anything to him, I knew that you'd figure it out eventually. I hated having to ask him for a loan but I had no choice, I wouldn't have been able to provide you with the basic things for our ceremony otherwise and that's the truth," Prince Mika admitted, "I couldn't let you go without so I swallowed my pride and asked humbly for some financial assistance."**

 **"I wouldn't have minded going without a few things, I'm not materialistic you know," I responded, "I do however appreciate the gesture and I understand how difficult it must have been for you to ask for help, especially for financial help because it is unheard of amongst Princes."**

 **"I had to do what I had to do, it is that simple." Prince Mika stated, then he said nothing else to me, he just drank his wine and finished off the big plate of meat that had been placed infront of him. I followed suit and ate the rest of my meal too, I hated wasting food and to be fair it tasted pretty good so I ate as much as I possibly could. The portion sizes were rather large after all, I gave the rest of my meat to Diesel who was underneath the table waiting for my scraps and any bones, he loved munching on bones.**

 **Diesel had grown a lot during the three years that I'd had him, he was so fluffy that I had to brush him every single evening and he never stopped shedding his hairs. Most of my clothing ended up covered in his hairs so it didn't matter what I wore. I tried not to wear my best clothes when Diesel was with me, however on some occasions it was unavoidable because he loved to follow me around.**

 **"I've had enough of this mountain environment, I want adventure and excitement. I want to see the world, in other words I want to leave Vampire Mountain for a while and go exploring," I told Prince Mika after he had retired for the evening, he'd worked non-stop for hours and he was exhausted. It wasn't easy being a Vampire Prince and I admired him for being so dedicated to the welfare of our Clan.**

 **"I understand how you feel, I don't like being here for year after year either, however I must put the Clan and my duties first before my own desires, being a Prince involves some level of sacrifice and my sacrifice is that I am stuck here for decades at a time," Prince Mika remarked as he took his robes off revealing a T Shirt and trousers.**

 **"Are they very heavy?" I asked, I was referring to the robes.**

 **"No, but I do get hot sometimes. You'd be surprised at how little fresh air the Hall of Princes gets, I've repeatedly mentioned about putting in some more gaps in the rocks to let the air flow in and the smoke from the fires escape, however the other Princes are convinced that when we have a storm the rain will come in if we add any extra gaps to the rockface." Prince Mika answered, then he plonked himself into an armchair and made himself comfortable, I sat in the chair that was opposite to him. "You know," Prince Mika began slowly, "I could take a few nights off and then we could go somewhere together if you like, I have not left the vacinity of the mountain in a long time."**

 **"I'd like that, if you could arrange it I would be grateful," I replied, "we haven't ever been anywhere alone together except for hunting trips." I enjoyed hunting with Prince Mika, he would often assist me in taking out a stag or two for us to share with the other Princes. We lived on game and whatever we could find by foraging, the mountain bred sheep, goats and cows so we wouldn't starve but there was nothing wrong with knowing a few survival skills.**


End file.
